Unexpected Love
by flamingpen18
Summary: When Edward left Bella a year ago, she had already figured out that they were not mates. Bella soon learns that she is the mate to one of the Volturi kings. What she once felt for Edward will pale in comparison to what she will soon feel.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own any of the characters, only the plot.**

**I have always loved Aro, but felt that he should have gotten more spotlight. I,also, wanted him to be portrayed in a nicer way. This is a story of Bella and Aro. Everyone will be mostly in character with a few exceptions. I have switched some things up a bit. I hope you enjoy.**

**As always, please review. Constructive criticism is most welcomed.**

**Apov**

I sit here,day in and day out and hearing the most mundane of vampire business. Is this what my existence has come to? I, a leader of our kind, being forced to settle menial squabbles such as who fed on whose land. Or, who looked at whom the wrong way. When had my eternity become so empty?

I'm sure the void that I felt would be fulfilled if only I could find my mate. How is it that I have existed for over three thousand years and I have yet to find her? Had I been to late? These question bogged down my mind constantly. If only I could find my other half as my brothers have found theirs.

Both Marcus and Caius have been mated for a couple thousand years , Marcus is mated to my sister,Didyme and Caius is mated to Altheadora. The way they are, you would think that they are newly mated. I envy them.

So, here I am, again, sitting on my throne, with my brothers at my side, getting ready to hear, yet, another grievance. More likely than not, it will be nothing more than a great waste of our time.

"Demetri, let her in", I called to my faithful guard member. He opened the long doors and in walked a redheaded vampire. The attitude this woman exuded was enough to make me want to throw her out before even hearing her complaint. Hopefully, she knows a little about respect.

"What is your name and why are you here?" I asked here with a bored tone. I leaned back on my throne and crossed my legs at the ankles. Linking my fingers, I gestured her to start talking.

"My name is Victoria and I am here to get justice for my mate who was killed because of a stupid human bitch who knows all about our kind." She finished her rant with her eyes wild. There was something unsettling about what she was telling us. I needed more information.

"How is it that a human is responsible for the death of your mate? Give me your hand" I demanded of her. She took a step away from me . Well, that was unwise of her. "Now, Victoria. I will not ask you again."

She still kept stepping away from me. If I was suspicious before, I was even more so now. I was going to find out what she was hiding. "Jane!" I called to my elite guard member. Jane's ability to inflict the illusion of pain was always useful.

Victoria crumpled to floor in agonized cries. I allowed it to continues for a few more moments."All right, Jane"

I walked over to The redhead and grabbed her hand. Instantly, all her memories replayed for me. Finally ,I came across the ones she didn't want me to see. Someone has been very buissy.

"What did you see, Aro?" Caius asked. He was as intrigued as I was by what she was hiding.

" It seems that not only did her mate decide to hunt a young girl associated to our old friend, Carlisle Cullen, but Carlisle's coven destroyed him. This woman wants revenge."I told him walking over to my throne and sat down.

" If this human knows about us, then she needs to die."Caius was very much a by the book type. That, and he hated humans.

"There's more to it. Carlisle's son claimed to be her mate and then they left her. But, that wasn't enough. Victoria has been trying to kill Isabella Swan for over a year now,but hasn't been able to get close enough. Apparently, there are werewolves protecting her."

"What!" Caius yelled jumping up to his feet. " How the hell are there werewolves involved in this mess? Why would they be protecting this human?"

"Caius, control yourself. These wolves are not like the ones you have had dealings with. They are more like shape shifters. We need to keep to the business at hand. The other thing we need to discuss is that Victoria ,here, has taken it upon herself to create a newborn army. Last count, there were twenty-two. This needs to be dealt with immediately." I shook with anger. There was such a blatant disrespect for our laws by both this Victoria and even my old friend, Carlisle.

" Agreed. The army must be eliminated as soon as possible. That must be taken care of first. The threat of exposure is too great at this point." Marcus spoke sternly.

" I will be taking Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri, and Santiago with me to Washington. The guard will be going to Seattle where the army is and I will be going to Forks, to find this Miss. Swan." I told them of my plans. I knew they wouldn't like me going on this mission, but I wasn't ready to tell them the real reason why just yet.

" Aro, let the guard handle this Miss. Swan. The situation is too volatile. You shouldn't be that close." Caius said to me with concern in his voice." I'm sure they can get . past the shifters to eliminate her."

" Ah, Caius, Aro needs to be the one to do this." Marcus told him giving me this look. Figures I couldn't get it past him.

" All right. Get the jet fueled and ready. I want to leave by this evening. We also need to feed before we go. Felix, take Victoria down to the dungeon. She remains in one piece for now. "

"What of the Cullens? They need to be dealt with as well." Caius asked annoyed. He never was a huge fan of Carlisle and his choice of diet. This was just another reason for him to dislike him.

"Send a message to the Cullens. I want all of them present. I will return with Miss. Swan. Alive. We will deal with them then. Marcus, I would like to speak with you in my office." I said on my out the side door leading to the east wing where our private residents were

My office was the only room that was sound resistant. I had it built that way for my need for privacy. We entered and I walked over to my desk and sat down. "I take it you know why I need to talk to you."

"If you're referring to the very interesting lines I saw appear while you were reading Victoria's memories, then, yes, I do." he replied grinning at me.

" When I saw Isabella in her memories, I was hit with the most intense feelings. I have seen countless memories from both human and vampires throughout my existence and that has never happened to me before. I, literally, felt like I was hit in the chest. All I wanted to to was take her and make love to her. Please tell me, am I insane?" I finished , feeling desperate for the truth.

" No, Aro, you are not insane. The lines I saw are those of the mating bond. It would appear that Miss. Swan is your mate." He smiled at me.

My mate. I have wanted to find my wait for so long and now she is within my reach." Marcus, she is human. Will it be possible for her to feel the pull as well?"

" Yes, there is no reason why she wouldn't be able to feel it to some degree. It has happened before. You are not the first vampire to be mated to a human. Don't let that hinder you. She is yours. Do what you need to be with her. Bring her back here and then change her. I can't wait to meet my new sister. She must be something special for the fates to choose her for you."

I stood up and began to pace. I reached up and began to rub my chest. I was definitely feeling the pull." Do me a favor, do not tell Caius of this. You know how he feels about humans. I will speak to him on my return."

Marcus came over to me a put his hand on my shoulder. " I am happy for you. You have been alone for so long. You deserve to be happy. Everything will work out. Just be careful and watch your back."

All our preparations were made and we had all fed. We were now on the plane heading to Washington. In a few short hours, I would see my mate. I'm trying to contain my excitement. Easier said than done.

After we landed, I took a rental car and drove to Forks, while my guard stayed in Seattle. I made my way to where the mating pull was originating from. The closer I got, the stronger the feeling was.

When I got into the towns limits, I decided to park the car and make a run for it. It was night time so no one would be able to see anything.

I finally came to a small white house where I heard only two heartbeats. As I got closer, I was hit with the most amazing scent I have ever smelled. It was freesia and strawberries. I walked around to the back . The scent was very strong here. I climbed the tree and looked in through the window. There, asleep on her bed, was my mate.

I climbed in through the window. I couldn't believe what I saw. She was even more beautiful in person than in Victoria's thoughts .Her skin was pale, only a few shades darker than my own. Her hair was long and the color of mahogany. She had a heart shaped face with full pouty lips that longed to be kissed. Her figure was exquisitely soft and feminine with curves in all the right places. Needless to say, I was a happy man. My mate was made for me in every aspect.

Almost as if she knew I was there. Isabella woke up. She sat up and looked right at me. I could hear her heartbeat speed up."Aro", she gasped.

I guess my mate knows a great deal more about my kind than I was even aware of.

" Have you come to kill me. I know your laws. I'm human and I'm not supposed to know." She asked me looking me directly in the eye. The odd thing was was that I sensed no fear coming from her. She stood up and walked over to my place by the window.

"No, I am not going to kill you now or any time." I told her. I couldn't help myself. I had to touch her. I lifted my hand and gently touched her cheek. Her skin was softer than rose petals and so much warmer. It was then that I realized that my gift didn't seem to work on her. Interesting. I would have to look into that later.

Just then she blushed. It was so stunning! I loved her innocence.

"What are you going to do with me, then?" she asked me rubbing her cheek against my hand. I think it's a safe bet that she feels the mating pull.

"Well, let me ask you, Isabella. What do you know of mating?"

" Please, just call me Bella. I hate my full name. As far as mating I know that mates can't ever leave each other and that the bond is stronger than anything. I also know that it's impossible for mates to cheat on each other." she replied softly.

" Your name means beautiful in Italian and it fits you perfectly. I like Isabella. " I told her firmly. I put my arm around her waist. She snuggled closer to me.

" You are correct about what you said. The mating bond is intense. No mate could ever leave their mate. It is permanent. It's even more intense than love at first sight. The pull itself, can, sometimes, be painful. Especially, if there is distance between them. Most importantly, no mate can ever cause harm to their mates . It is impossible. Our entire existence becomes about them." I watched her closely for her reaction. She appeared to be fine with everything. The fact that she was comfortable in my presence spoke volumes.

Then, her eyes darkened unexpectedly. " That lying, good for nothing, virgin, vegan, vampire . He told me I was his mate. He played me. I swear if I ever see his sorry ass again, I will personally tear him to pieces myself and gladly light the fire."She was irate. The sheer beauty of her anger was a sight to behold!.

When she looked up at me, she quickly covered her mouth, obviously afraid that she had said too much. Her heartbeat began to speed up again. I pulled her back into my arms, trying to calm her down.

"Please don't worry. I know about the Cullens and I know that young Edward claimed that you were his mate. I'm sorry that their actions have hurt you. You have done nothing to deserve being treated so poorly. There is much we need to discuss. " I told her holding her close to me. She fit in my arms perfectly.

" I'm sorry. I know the laws. It's just that I was lied to . On one hand he was always telling me I was his mate, but when I would ask him to change me, there was always an excuse of why he wouldn't. I should have known. " She shook her head, her long hair caressing her back. " I was probably nothing more than a toy for him to play with. He couldn't read my mind. That was probably why he pretended to be mates. He was trying to find out what made me tick."

So, Edward Cullen's gift didn't work on her either. Interesting. Apparently, my mate was very gifted if it was already manifesting itself while she was still human. I would have to look into that later.

" I'm sorry, my dear, but you are correct. You are not mates. He never would have been able to leave you much less not change you if you were. The desire to be with our mates over powers everything. I hope you don't still have feelings for him." I really hoped she didn't. That spineless child was not worth her affections. Besides, this goddess was mine.

"No. Not at all. I realized that I was infatuated with him, that it was never love. It hurt me that his family, who I did love very much, left without ever saying good bye. It's hard finding out that my so-called best friend and my other family never cared about me at all. " She finished with tears in her eyes. The hurt there was almost too much for even me to see. I didn't like the fact that it was my own friend that allowed this to happen.

" Isabella, I wonder. How would you feel if you were to find out that you were the mate to another vampire? "I asked her watching closely for her reaction. Her eyes lit up at this knowledge.

" Really?" she asked me shyly. Cue the blushing.

" Yes, my sweet. I need you to listen to me carefully. Victoria came to Volterra asking me and my brothers to kill you. Her story did not add up. I think she may have thought she might have been able to circumvent my gift. I can see every thought a person has ever had by just one touch. When I touched her hand, I saw you. When I did, I felt this intense pull towards you. I have never had that happen before and I have seen the thoughts of countless individuals. Isabella, I felt the mating pull with you. You are my mate."

I anxiously waited for her reaction to this important piece of information. She just stood there, wide eyed, looking at me. Then, she did what I didn't expect her to do. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. Her soft lips against my cold, hard ones was enough to make me forget everything but her. I pulled her closer to me. Threading one hand through her hair and the other gripping her perfect ass , I pulled her closely to me.

My God, she tasted incredible. So sweet and delicious. Our tongues met and fought for dominance with hers finally letting me win. I could do this forever, but I needed to stop before we went to far. As much as I wanted to lay her down and make passionate love to her delectable body, now was not the time. We still had many things to discuss ans I wanted to get everything out in the open.

I pulled away slowly, looking deeply into her eyes. I have never been shaken so deeply before. She was exquisite and her passion rivaled that of my own.


	2. Chapter 2

**It's all Stephenie's. The plot is mine.**

**This is an Aro/Bella story. There will be some Edward bashing. I do love Edward, but let's keep an open mind, people.**

**Chapter 2**

**BPOV**

It has been a year since I was unceremoniously dumped in the forest. Treated as if I was no more important than the dirt I was standing on.

When Edward told me he and his family were leaving, I felt like a hole was being punched right through my chest. It wasn't because "He"was leaving, but, more to the point, the family that I had grown to love was leaving, and not even bothering to say good bye.

I felt like the world's biggest fool. I had allowed myself the luxury of thinking that these beautiful, perfect 'people' had actually cared, maybe, even loved me. How many times had Esme fixed me a meal, hugged me, made me feel like I was one of her own? And Alice, she who was supposed to be my best friend, the first best friend I have ever had, moved without so much as a farewell.

I should have known. I did see the warning signs. The signs that the end was near.

I had known that Edward and I were not mates for quite some time. How could I not? I was around three mated couples almost on a daily basis. It was blatantly obvious the difference on how they treated each other and how Edward was treating me.

Edward was a control freak. Seriously, I was lucky I didn't have to ask permission to go to the bathroom. He wouldn't even allow me to dress the way I like. When we were together, I wasn't even allowed to listen to my favorite music.

So, when the Cullen's left I decided that I wasn't gong to cry. There would be no melt down from me. I would go on with my life as if they had never been a part of it.

I finished high school, graduating at the top of my class.. My grades had been to high, that I had been accepted to every college I applied to, including Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth. The latter being the one I chose to attend.

My father was very proud of everything I had accomplished. Never being one for conversation, he decided to surprise me with a new car for graduation That, alone, said it all.. To say I was surprised, is a understatement. It was a brand new car. Somehow, my father had discovered that my favorite car was a Chevy Camaro. It was Cobalt Blue and gorgeous. It quickly became the new love of my life.

Of course, my dad droned on about all the safety features it had . I may have been the world's worst klutz at one time, but I have outgrown that disability.

I have been working full-time at the new book store that opened up in town. Me,being surrounded by books all day, I feel like I'm in my zone. Everything I earn , I put away into my college fund. I didn't want Charlie to feel all of the financial pressure from me attending Dartmouth in the fall.

Jacob and I are still best friends. In fact, I am very close to the entire wolf pack, They even made me a honorary member.

The pack has saved my life on more than one occasion. That redheaded vampire whore, Victoria, is after me. The Cullens destroyed her mate so she thinks I have to die because of it.

It has been a year now and she hasn't even gotten close to me. Yea. The pack is that good. My only fear is of one of them getting hurt because of me.

The only other down-side to my life would be my mother, Renee. Ever since her new husband ,Phil, was picked up by a major league baseball team, it seems to me that I no longer exist to her. She doesn't return my phone calls, texts, or e-mails. After several months of trying, I gave up. If that was how she was going to treat me, then I wasn't going to waste anymore time on her. I allowed myself to cry and then I moved on.

Today, I had a long day at work. I went home and cooked dinner for my dad and I. When I finished, I went upstairs to take my shower. I couldn't wait to crawl under my covers. No sooner did I lay my head on my pillow, I fell asleep.

While I was sleeping I got that weird feeling like I was being watched. I bolted upright in my bed. Standing directly in front of my window, was Aro Volturi. I was shocked. After a year of having no contact with any vampires, suddenly, there's one in my room. And, not just one, but one of the three kings.

I asked him, bluntly, if he was going to kill me I got up and walked over to him.. What he did next surprised me and excited me at the same time. He gently placed his hand on my cheek and I felt this jolt run through me. He told me he wasn't going to kill me at any time.

I stared openly at him. I had no clue that Aro was so incredibly gorgeous in person. I saw a painting with him and his brothers once in Carlisle's office, but that did not do him justice.. I had once thought Edward was the most attractive male in existence, but wow, was I ever wrong. Aro had long, jet ,black hair that was pulled back into a clip. His eyes were a stunning shade of ruby that I felt I could get lost in. He was tall, over six feet . He filled out his expensive Armani suit quite well. Mmm. There's is just something about a man in a suit.

He then asked me how much I knew about mating. Aro confirmed that what I did know was correct. Apparently, I was right in my analysis of Edward. That just set me off. I started ranting about how he played me. I really wanted to hurt that jerk and make him pay for what he had done.

I then realized that I may have said too much. I quickly put my hand over my mouth. I felt so stupid for my little tirade. I'm sure Aro knew by now who I was talking about.

What he told me next nearly floored me. He not only knew about the Cullen's , but he had learned about them from Victoria. That bitch has been trying to get to me for quite some time.

Then he informs me that not only am I mated to another vampire, but that that vampire is him. My rational mind couldn't believe it. I'm mated to Aro Volturi. This incredibly gorgeous man is mine!All thoughts of Victoria vanished.

I stared into his amazing eyes. Then, I could no longer control my reaction, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him with everything that was in me

He grabbed me and pulled me closer to him. He kissed me with so much passion it left me breathless. He tasted so incredibly yummy. I could kiss him for days and not tire of it. I wanted more, but I knew we still needed to talk. Later. There was time later.

**APOV**

I couldn't wait to continue this. Hopefully, we would not have to wait too long in order for us to complete our mating. There is nothing I want more,now, than to claim her as my own.

" I'm sorry, my sweet. We have all the time in the world to continue this. We really need to talk." I kept my arms around her waist.

"You need to understand, that , as my mate, and someone who knows our secret, you must be changed. I 'm sorry if you feel pressured. That is not my intent. Now that we have acknowledged the mating bond, we will not be able to be apart."I gently kissed her forehead.

"I don't feel pressured. I was leaving in the fall to attend Dartmouth. I guess ,now, I will have to change everything around. Although, I have no clue how I'm going to go about it."She replied nervously. " I had always wanted to be changed. I just had run into several road blocks in the past."

"I need you to understand. You are going to have to come with me as soon as we can get your affairs straightened out. I would like to leave here in no more than four hours. I know that doesn't give you much time, but I will help you. Just take only the things with sentimental value. I will give you everything your heart could ever desire ." I kissed her again. I could never tire of kissing her sweet lips. I pulled away before it went too far.

"Okay. If that's what you want me to do. I just hate leaving my father, but he was preparing for me to leave, anyway, so it was going to happen eventually."

I loved the fact that my mate was, apparently, very intelligent. Being accepted into an Ivy league school is no small feat. She truly was exquisite.

" I need to leave to go get my rental car and take care of some business. I will return in four hours. Gathers the things you wish to bring with you. " I cupped her face in my hands and leaned in to kiss her lips. She returned my kiss with fervor.

I pulled away, and with one last brush of her cheek I jumped out her window. I needed to contact Jane to get an update on the newborn situation. I hated leaving my Isabella. Soon, we would be together forever.

**BPOV**

I couldn't believe what was happening. I may have only known Aro for just under an hour's time, but it felt life I have known him my whole life. I needed to be with him. I craved his touch. Already, he was becoming my everything. I never knew mating was this intense.

I started to go through my things, trying to decide what I wanted to take with me. I grabbed a duffel bag and started placing items inside. Right now, I was really concerned about my car. It was one of the things I didn't want to leave behind. I decided to ask Aro what to do about it.

I heard my dad get up and get ready for work. I decided to go down and make him some breakfast.. This would be the last time I would get to spend any time with him and I didn't want to waste it.

I made him his favorite bacon,eggs and waffles. We sat down at the dining room table.

"You didn't have to make breakfast, Bells. But, I'm sure glad you did." He told me eagerly digging into his food.

" It's no problem,dad. I was up and hungry. I figured, you could use a decent breakfast instead of coffee. " I teased him.

We finished in a comfortable silence. I grabbed the dishes and brought them to the sink to be washed.

" I'm going to be late, tonight. I have to take part of Mike's shift. He has to take his wife somewhere and won't be back in time to start. " He told me on the way out the door.

" I'll have dinner waiting for you then", I called to him.

I decided to spend the rest of my time cleaning up around the house. I didn't want to leave my father with a mess. I did the dishes and finished all his laundry.

When I was done with that, I decided to head on out back to clean up the back porch a little. It has been neglected lately and was in serious need of being picked up.

While I was sweeping the back steps, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up; the feeling that you get when someone is watching you. I turned slowly around towards the back of the yard,by the path leading into the forest, and standing there, watching me, was a vampire. A human drinking vampire.

Oh God,no! I did not recognize this vampire, but why would I? I hope either the pack or Aro can smell him and make it here in time. I have a bad feeling about this.

He strode toward me arrogantly. He knew I had no where to go. I was trapped.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Is this the poor, not so innocent, Bella Swan? I have heard a lot about you. Victoria sends her regards. She's really quite put out by you. It's your fault her mate was killed. She wants revenge. Seems only fair. An eye for an eye and all." The next thing I knew he was standing directly in front of me.

" That wasn't my fault. James got himself killed. In case it escaped your notice, Edward is not my mate." I told him smugly. Geez. For vampires, both he and Victoria sure were stupid.

" Like that matters. You were there to begin with ,therefore you pay".

The next thing I knew, he grabbed me by the throat and threw me across the yard. I landed in a heap at the base of a tree. Pain shot through my whole body as I hit the ground. I turned only to see him flash towards me. I held my arms over my head in a futile attempt to protect myself. I braced for impact. Suddenly I heard a loud roar. I looked up in time to see Aro tear the arms off of my attacker. He then proceeded to rip his head off and light his body on fire.

Aro came over to me. "Isabella. I need you to calm down. I can't get to you. You have encompassed yourself in a shield. Can you try to lower it for me?"

A shield. I had no idea how I did that. " I don't know how. I didn't even know I did that." I told him, still a little frightened.

" Sweetheart. You're power is a mental and physical shield. It's very powerful for it to manifest while you are still human. I noticed your mental shield earlier when my gift didn't work on you. I suspect that your physical shield developed in order for you to protect yourself. All you need to do is to try to call down. Picture a curtain lowering,if you can."

I did just as he suggested and pictured a curtain being lowered. It worked. He came over to me and picked me up. I put my head on his shoulder. I felt safe now. That was all that mattered.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: **I'm sorry it has taken so long to update. Between the Holidays and other things that I have been dealing with, I had to put my writing on the back burner.**

**I would like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed. All I can say is thank you so much for the very kind words. I hope to continue to write in a manner that meets your expectations.**

**As always(more because I didn't think of it first), I do not own the characters. I do own the plot.**

**Chapter 3**

**APOV:**

The very thought of having to leave my Isabella, if only, for a few short hours , was enough to make me nervous. Now that we had acknowledged our mating bond, it will become even more difficult to be apart until I claim her as my own.

For vampires, the mating bond is stronger than even the call of blood. There is nothing and no one that can break it. Although blood lust was quite strong,and we were willing to kill anyone because of it, we were even more willing to kill if any harm was to come to our mates.

Even now, I was feeling that tell-tale pain radiating in my chest from being apart from her. The only consolation I would have from it is knowing that because Isabella is human, the pain of separation will not hit her as hard as it will me.

I ran as fast as I could to grab the rental car I had parked on the outskirts of the town. Luckily, it was still early in the morning and not many people were up and about.

I hopped in and dialed Jane's cell phone. I needed to know the status of the newborn situation. I would be leaving Forks with Bella this morning and I did not want to bring her anywhere near a volatile situation such as the one in Seattle. Her safety was of the most importance to me.

"Master", I heard Jane say as she answered her phone.

"Report". I sincerely hoped that everything had been dealt with and there were no set backs. This problem had all the makings of blowing up on our faces and we really did not need to risk any exposure.

"The situation was a little bit worse when we first arrived. There were twenty six newborns . She seemed to have picked several with talents. We had some difficulty at first due to the fact that one newborn has the ability to negate all gifts. Felix was able to get to him, though. All but one of the newborns has been destroyed. The one we didn't eliminate was Victoria's second . I wanted to wait and see what you wanted to do with him. The only only thing is the fact that it is a mess here. It is obvious that no humans could have created this amount of destruction. We are attempting clean up even as we speak."

"Well done. I want you to destroy her second. He is of no use to me. We have Victoria and that is all that matters. Clean up what you can. Whatever you can't, burn. Do not leave any evidence of our existence behind. I will be leaving Forks within the hour and I'll be bringing Miss Swan with me. Meet us at the airport in two hours. Make sure to have the jet ready .Are there any other question?" I asked her. Jane never had trouble following my orders.

"No, Master. All will be as you ordered."

I hung up the phone and sped off down the road. My thoughts were on my beautiful Isabella the whole way. I still could not believe that after existing for such a long time alone, I have found my mate.

As I neared Isabella's house, I smelled it first. It was the very distinct scent of another vampire. Panic tore through me. I hit the gas. I needed to get to her quickly . I cursed myself for leaving her unattended. What if something happens to her?

I pulled in and heard the vampire tell my Isabella that she would pay for Victoria's mates death. I threw the car in park just in time to hear my mate cry out in pain.

Running to the back yard I was greeted with a frightening sight of Isabella on the ground, with her arms above her head, trying to protect herself. The amazing thing was, the clear,blue shield that was encompassing her. The vampire was trying to get to her,but was unable to get past her shield

While he was distracted, I grabbed him and ripped his arms off. The primal roar I let loose had him cowering in fear. I, then ,swiftly relieved him of his head and burned him.

I turned to my mate. She was still cowering in fear, but had herself well protected. I felt pride in her power. I was well aware of the fact that she didn't know what she had done, but the sheer strength of her power, even as a human , was staggering.

I explained to her about her shield and how she would be able to lower it. She was so intelligent that she was able to figure it out. Her shield lowered within a few moments.

I picked up my love and carried her into her house and sat down on her couch with her on my lap. "Isabella , are you all right? ". I asked her with concern lacing my voice.

"I'm okay now that you are here. I was so scared. He was going to kill me anyway, even though he knew I wasn't Edwards mate. Why? I didn't kill James. I'm human. I had nothing to do with it. James broke my leg and and my ribs. He beat me up so much I was purple for a while. He even bit me. If Edward hadn't sucked the venom out, I would be a vampire now."

She spoke so quickly that if I were human I wouldn't be able to understand what she said.

I rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. I wasn't aware of the fact that James had, indeed, bit her. I suppose that was a bit of information that even Victoria hadn't even known.

"Where?" I wanted to know where that coward had bitten her. He was lucky the Cullens destroyed him. I would have made his death more painful than he could ever imagine.

Isabella pulled the sleeve up a bit on her right arm. There it was. On the inside of her right wrist,was a crescent shaped scar. I grabbed her wrist and gently ran my fingers over the scar. It was slightly cooler to the touch than the rest of her skin. I pulled her wrist up to my lips and softly kissed it.

"I am sorry, my love. You never should have been put through all of this. When I read Victoria's memories, there was nothing in them about you being bitten. It would seem that this James was keeping things from her as well. I suspect that he wasn't her mate and was probably only using her for her gift. She has the gift of evasion and with James having been a tracker, he couldn't pass up the chance to use her. You are an innocent in this mess."

I did my best to console her but I knew full well that the experience had affected her deeply. To be accepted into the Cullen family and told that you are a mate to one of them and then abandoned , so that some psychotic woman could harm you ,was a lot for anyone to take in. My beloved's inner strength was very impressive. She didn't let it tear her down. She used the pain to fuel her, to give her the strength to reach her goals.

"I'm all right. I just didn't expect to be thrown across my yard this morning. It just shook me up a little. I'll be fine. I wanted to ask you about that shield, though. How did that happen? I didn't do anything consciously. Nothing like that happened when James attacked me."

"I'm not surprised, actually. You're older now. That alone has given your gift more of a chance to develop. Couple that with the fact that your mind knew that you needed to protect yourself, your physical shield manifested . I'm quite proud of you. You handled the situation better than even some vampires. You have amazing strength and you should be proud." I was in awe of this woman. She was nothing short of incredible and she was all mine.

"I always wondered if I had a gift due to the fact that Edward couldn't read my mind, for which I was most grateful. I'm glad it wasn't due to the fact that my brain is dysfunctional like I had first thought." She blushed so adorably. How she could think that there was something wrong with her was beyond me.

I looked into her stunning , liquid chocolate eyes. Gently brushing her cheek with the back of my hand, I leaned forward and captured her lips with mine. We kissed slowly at first, but when I felt her luscious tongue seeking entrance into my mouth, I lost my control. I gripped her waist and pulled her to straddle me. Gripping her head,I pulled her even closer to me, trying desperately to devour her heavenly taste. My God! She was more delectable than I could have ever imagined. Our tongues played with each others, tasting, teasing, enjoying each other. It was a heady sensation.

Never in all my years had I ever been this aroused. The affect she had on my body was indescribable. My hands made their way down to cup her perfect ass, attempting to pull her heated core closer to my straining erection. Isabella's head fell back and she was moaning from the pleasure I was giving her. I leaned forward and began kissing her neck, nibbling on it. Her scent was unbelievable.

" Oh, my Love. What you do to me", I said to her in between kissing her neck. " I wished we had the time." I pulled back slowly to look at her. Isabella's face was flushed and her breathing was erratic. I could smell her arousal and it nearly brought me to my knees. Her lips were kiss swollen as she looked at me with lust filled eyes.

"I'm sorry. I've never been kissed like that before." She said softly to me while laying her head on my shoulder." I have a tendency to get carried away"

"Mmm. I like knowing I'm the only one to ever kiss you like that. I'm sorry we can't finish this. When we get back to Volterra, I will be claiming you and making you mine forever." Her eyes lit up when I told her that. She was just as excited about completing out mating as I was.

" Oh, that reminds me. I needed to ask you about how to handle my father. I have no clue how to break it to him that I'm leaving. I don't want to crush him. I'm his only child."She jumped up and started to pace nervously.

I stood up and walked over to her. I put my arms around her to get her to stop her pacing. "My sweet, I know this is difficult for you. The best thing I can tell you to do right now is to compose a letter and tell him that you have the opportunity to got to Italy with a friend and you have to leave asap. Tell him you will call him as soon as you are settled. We can go from there." I kissed her lightly on her forehead, letting her know that I was here giving her the support that she needed.

"I,actually, was thinking along those lines. I love Charlie, but it is time for me to move on with my life. I just didn't want to leave him with the idea that his only child was killed. I think that would crush him. My mother, on the other hand, wouldn't care what happens to me. So,leaving is a bit easier than you would think."

"Why wouldn't your own mother care? It's obvious that you're close to your father,but I have noticed that that is the first time you have mentioned her?" I was curious. It hadn't escaped my notice that she winced when she spoke of her mother.

"My mother remarried and it would seem that she no longer wants to be apart of my life. I haven't heard from her in over six month's . She didn't even bother to send me a text or even an e-mail telling me. She just never bothered to get back in touch with me. I just decided to let her go. Growing up, I had to be the adult. I had to raise her and make sure the bills were paid. I even got myself up for school in kindergarten and walked to the bus stop alone. I'll always be the adult between the two of us. It's okay. I've accepted it .I'm ready for the next chapter in my life to begin."

"I'm sorry she hurt you. But I will say this; you will have a new family. The Volturi are not just enforcers of our laws. We are like a family. That's not a fact that we like to let out. Most think of us as cold and callous, but, I assure you, that that isn't the case. I believe you will fit in nicely."I pulled her in my arms and kissed her gently. I want to tell her how much I already love her, but I'm afraid that that may be a bit early for her. I need to be patient and take it slow. In the mean time, I will show her how much she means to me, so that she will have no cause to doubt my feelings.

**BPOV**

When Aro showed up and saved me I was elated. He was my knight in shining armor. He was quickly becoming everything to me,and I knew that I was already falling in love with him

"I'm packed. I just have to write my letter to my dad, then I'm ready to go." I walked over to the desk and grabbed a pen and some paper. I sat down at the dining room table and began to write. Aro came up behind me and I felt him kiss the top of my head, giving me the strength to pull it off.

_ Dear Dad,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't be here when you got home. I received a phone call from a friend of mine and she invited me to join her on a trip to Italy. I know this is last minute, but I have always wanted to go and felt that now would be the perfect time for me to do so. I will call you when I get situated and tell you more of my plans at that time. _

_Please take care of yourself!_

_Love you,_

_Bella_

I finished the note and put it over by the phone where my father would see it.

I felt Aro slip his arms around my waist." Are you ready?"

I looked up into his ruby eyes. "Yes, I'm ready."

"Come." He grabbed my suitcase and opened the door for me. I felt a sense of nostalgia standing by the rental car, looking at my fathers house. It felt so long ago that I had moved to Forks. I had hated this sun forsaken piece of earth, but it had grown on me. I would miss it. My future was in front of me and I couldn't wait to see what it had in store.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You know the deal: I don't own the characters; just the plot.**

**I have been dealing with a lot of more pressing issues in my life, so my writing has taken a hit. I have decided that, unless things get better, I will try to update once a week.**

**Thank you so much for the great reviews! It really does mean a lot to know that my hard work had been appreciated. **

**I still do not have a beta. All mistakes are mine alone.**

**Chapter 4**

**BPOV**

I had enjoyed my time alone with Aro on the ride to Seattle. He was unbelievably intelligent and so gentle. He asked me so many different questions about myself ; just so he could get to know me better.

He was completely honest and open with me, respecting my thoughts and feelings.

I would never have to worry about him keeping things from me, or even lying to me.

He held my hand during the entire drive and, occasionally, kissed the back of it. I knew ,now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I was deeply in love with him. I just couldn't wait much longer to tell him.

I now sat aboard Aro's private jet, waiting for him while he was finishing business with his guard.

The jet itself was magnificent. I have,of course, flown before, but never on anything this extravagant. The jet was a very sleek, shiny black and quite large. The interior was mind blowing. I have been in hotels that weren't nearly as beautiful. The leather seating was so buttery soft, all I wanted to do was curl up in it and fall asleep. Above me there was an amazing lighting fixture that was more of a work of art than something intended for functionality.

I would have to say that the most amazing part of the jet was the bedroom containing the most inviting king size bed I have ever seen in my existence. I still do not understand why vampires, who need no sleep, find it necessary to have in their possession, beds. And not just any beds, the most expensive , comfortable ones they can find.

To say I was a little intimidated when I met his guard would be an understatement. After all, they are in charge of protecting the Kings of the vampire world. In order to do that, they would have to be quite powerful.

When Aro introduced Jane to me, I could tell she was none to happy to have me around. The look of utter dislike plastered all over her face was easy to read. I looked her dead in the eye and refused to let her think I was frightened of her. I don't think she appreciated my bravery. She just stood there, glaring at me, as if she was concentrating very hard on something, and then, the next thing I knew, Aro barked something to her in Italian. She immediately looked down, and replied in a tone that sounded apologetic.

To be completely honest, Jane reminded me a little to much of Alice. Both of them were very small, almost pixie like in their appearance . Instead of the near black hair that Alice possessed, Jane had pale blonde hair, and, of course, she also had the ruby red eyes. I would go so far as to say they both had boyish figures. If Jane has a shopping addiction, then I will never get along with her.

Now, Jane's twin brother,Alec, on the other hand, seemed so much nicer than her. He greeted me with a welcoming smile and made me feel like I belonged. In fact, I never would have known that they were even related, much less twins, if I hadn't been told. Other than the fact that they share the same hair color, they looked and acted nothing alike.

I was then introduced to Demetri, Felix and Santiago. Demetri was very attractive and looked like a typical Italian; tall dark and handsome. He had a pleasant smile and unique way of making you feel comfortable.

Felix was the one who through me for a loop. He was massive. Standing nearly at seven feet, he looked as if he was all muscle. I could see him as being intimidating. But, once you get past all of the brawn, Felix really was quite funny.

Thinking about it made me feel a little twinge of sorrow. He was a lot like Emmet. I had thought of Emmet as a big brother, but I was wrong. It looks like I will have another one, a more improved one. It's amazing how things work out sometimes.

Santiago was also quite friendly and easy to get along with. He was quieter than everyone else, preferring to stay in the background. He, too, was tall dark and handsome, but, instead of being of Italian descent, he was Spanish.

I sat in my seat reading my well worn copy of Wuthering Heights , trying to be as patient as possible. I think I must have reread the same sentence at least a dozen times. I was a little too eager to get on with this new chapter in my life.

I looked up to see Aro and his guard come in . Aro sat down next to me while his guard went to sit at the front up the jet, giving us some privacy.

He gently grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. I really loved when he did that. He was such a gentleman.

"My love, I must apologize for Jane's behavior. She attempted to use her gift on you without my authorization. Little did she know that your shield would block her. "

" Oh, I was wondering what was wrong. I could tell that she doesn't like me very much. What is her gift?" I smiled softly, letting him know that I wasn't bothered by what happened.

"Well, my Sweet, Jane has the ability to inflict the illusion of mental anguish. You literally believe that you mind is on fire. It's quite painful. I had her do it to me once just so I would know what it was like. Let's just say, curiosity did kill that cat", he replied jokingly.

"I guess it's a good thing that I have a shield, then." I said that half in jest . I really was happy to have that shield now. I may not have any clue how to control it, but it obviously does it's job well.

"As am I, my Love. Jane was a bit put out by it. No one has ever been immune to her gift before. It's been quite a shot to her ego." He looked lovingly into my eyes. Leaning slightly forward, Aro gently kissed me on the lips. He pulled away sooner than I liked, but I was well aware that now was not the time to engage in anything more in depth.

"We will be arriving in Italy in ten hours. I will be introducing you to my brothers as well as the rest of the guard. I also need you to know that I have ordered the Cullens to appear before me and my brothers for breaking the law. I know you want nothing to do with them, but they must be held accountable for what they have done. Your presence is necessary in the proceedings."Aro stroked the back of my hand, trying to ease my nerves.

"You're correct,. I don't want anything to do with people who have no issue with stabbing so called 'family members' in the back, but I understand the need for me to be there " I looked down at my hands. Wringing them nervously, I continued. I'm more concerned with Victoria. She is seriously deranged. I always thought that vampires had superior intellects, but she has made me rethink that point."

" Sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about. I will not allow anyone to ever harm you. You mean everything to me. As soon as this ugly business is taken care of, we can concentrate on us."

I loved how tender and kind he was with me. I felt safe with him. I relaxed after his little speech. I put my head on his shoulder and he pulled me closer to him. It just felt right.

**APOV**

The ride to the airport was very enjoyable. Isabella was not only beautiful, but she was also very intelligent. She surprised me with a lot of the things that she enjoyed. Most young women her age were not into the same things, but Isabella seemed to be mature beyond her years.

It amazed me how perfect we are together.

When we got to the airport, my guard was already there and waiting for us. The jet was set and ready to take off.

I took Isabella over to meet my guard. For the most part, it went quite well. Except for Jane, who decided to take it upon herself to use her gift on Isabella without my authorization. The surge of anger that tore through me was intense. I will not tolerate this disrespect, and no one attacks my mate!

" Jane! Ciò il sarebbe saggio per ricordare il suo luogo. "I yelled.

Jane looked down. '" Perdonarmi, il Padrone ", she replied apologetically.

I helped Isabella get settled , telling her that I had some last minute business I had to take care of with my guard.

I went back out to speak with them."Jane, is the mess taken care of?"

"Yes, Master. It was beyond anything we have seen in quite some time. We did have to burn a few buildings down and make it look like arson, but other that that, everything else went as well as could be expected."

"Well done. Was there any exposure?" This was the one thing that had me the most concerned . We just could not risk anything like that happening.

"No,Master. The humans are under the impression that all the destruction was caused by a gang or gangs ", Alec spoke up.

" Good. I'm pleased. Now, I want you to listen very carefully to me. Isabella is not to be harmed, at all. You will show her respect. Am I understood?"

They all shook their heads yes.

"Master, after the trial, will we be able to call dibs on her?"

No sooner were the words out of Satiago's mouth, than I had him pinned with his arms behind his back and my teeth at his throat.

" I believe I just said that no one is to touch her. Pay very close attention to me. If anyone harms her, I will tear them to shreds and burn them slowly. It will be the most painful death you can imagine. Am I clear?" I picked him up and threw him away from me. " Isabella is my mate. Soon, she will be your queen. You will show her the respect she deserves. Now, have I made myself clear?"

I looked over my guards and they all shook their heads in agreement. Jane, however, had a very angry expression. I made a mental note to keep my eye on her.

" Let's get going. I would like to get back to Volterra at a descent time." I entered the jet and walked right over to my love.

When Isabella fell asleep against me, I gently picked her up and carried her to the bedroom in the back of the jet. I laid her down on the bed and pulled the blanket up over her. She was my life now and I would do everything necessary to protect her.

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

Jane! Ciò il sarebbe saggio per ricordare il suo luogo. -Jane! That's enough. You would be wise to remember your place.

Perdonarmi, il Padrone. -Forgive me, Master.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own the characters, just the plot.**

**Thank you so much for all the great reviews! It's really exciting to see that my hard work is being appreciated. Sometimes I worry about how my writing is going to be received. I have a four year old who is always screaming in my ear, so I really have to push myself to get a chapter out.**

**I still don't have a beta, so all mistakes are mine alone.**

**Again. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome.**

**Chapter 5**

**BPOV**

I was pleasantly awakened by the feeling of Aro kissing me gently on the lips. I opened my eyes to see his gorgeous ruby eyes gazing at me lovingly. I glanced around me and noticed that sometime after I had fallen asleep, Aro had carried into the jet's bedroom and laid me down on the massive bed.

"I'm sorry to awaken you, my Love. We have landed. It is time to head to Volterra. The ride will take a little over three hours. " He took my hand and helped me to stand.

We walked hand in hand on our way out of the jet and over to the waiting limo .

The guard was riding with us on our way to the castle. For the most part, I didn't have any problems with them. They were very accepting of me and even went out of their way to get to know me more during the long ride. Jane, however, made no such attempt. I kept catching her giving me such intense looks of hatred that were so hard to miss that ,at one point, I even heard Aro growl at her. I was getting sick of her attitude. If she thought that she was intimidating me, she better think again.

"Bella, I couldn't help but notice how at ease you are around vampires. Humans tend to sense how dangerous we are and shy away from us, but you seem to be very relaxed. Have you always felt so comfortable around our kind?", Demetri asked me.

"Actually, yes, I have. I can't explain it. I am fully aware of how strong and fast vampires are . I do have a healthy respect for all of you. "I looked at him and noticed his shocked expression.

"Do you mean to tell us that you have never felt fear towards our kind?"Alec piped in, interested in the conversation.

I shook my head. " Not in the way that you mean. Like I said, I have a healthy respect of what a vampire could do to me. I know first hand. It's quite painful."

"So, you're always this laid back around vampires?" Felix asked me.

" Pretty much. I just feel more at ease with your kind than humans. I have always felt out of place in my life. I was merely a spectator and never a participant. No matter what I did and how hard I tried, I couldn't make myself fit in. I was the square peg trying to force myself into the round whole. When I met the Cullens, that was the first time I felt close to normal. I know it makes no sense. The only human hanging around a family of vampires. But, I felt strong, somehow. More like the real me, the me I was meant to be."

"I have a theory", Aro said to me, grabbing my hand , and gently kissing it. "You were meant to become one of us. Everything about you screams it. You are drawn to our kind, you have a powerful gift , and let's not forget the fact that you, my Love, are my mate"

I smiled brilliantly at him, happy to finally be where I belonged. "I can't begin to tell you how happy that makes me."

I looked over at Jane and she was ,again, looking at me in disgust. I have had it with her attitude. I didn't want to disrespect Aro, but I also was not going to let her get away with thinking that she intimidated me in anyway.

"Jane, may I ask what your problem is?"

She looked between me and Aro, not sure of whether or not she should answer.

" I believe you were asked a question, Jane", Aro responded to her roughly.

She turned and looked me dead in the eye, again, trying to get me to fear her. " I don't like you".

"Feelings mutual. Now, give me a reason on why I have been getting nothing but an attitude from you?", I demanded from her.

" I think you're weak and pitiful. You don't belong with us, with Master Aro. You are only human, a walking blood bag and should be treated as such".

No sooner had the words left her mouth did Aro's growl fill the limo. He was livid. I put my hand on his thigh, trying to calm him .

" I'm pitiful? What about you, Jane? You claim that I'm both weak and pitiful. Let's discuss what's really the problem here. You have been pining away for a man that has not only not shown any interest in you, but ,now, is mated to another woman. If that wasn't sad enough, you keep throwing childish temper tantrums over it. I would think that a vampire as old as you would have grown up by now. Let me make myself quite clear; Aro is mine! Get over it.". I stared at her, not caring that the other guard members sat there in a state of shock.

I leaned back against Aro. I sincerely hoped that I didn't anger him too much. Aro, for his part, put his arm around me and pulled me closer, letting me know that everything was okay.

I chatted the rest of the way with Felix, Demetri, and Santiago Alex was trying to get his sister to calm down while at the same time rebuking her for her behavior. Aro called ahead to the castle to prepare his brothers for our arrival.

The closer we got to Volterra, the more my nerves came in to play.

I understood the reasoning behind Aro's need to have me present for the Cullen's and Victoria's trial. I really did not want to see any of the Cullens again, especially Edward and Alice. I had moved on with my life. Just the thought that ,in the near future, I would have to look those two-faced lying back stabbers in the face again, is enough to make me permanently nauseous.

Victoria, well, she was another story. Just being in the same room as someone who has been trying to hunt you down for a year because they blame you for the death of their mate, is nerve racking.

I trusted Aro. I trusted him with everything that was in me. And, I loved him more than anything. I loved the fact that I was his mate. I knew that he would keep me safe.

When we finally reached the city, I was in awe. It was beautiful. I felt as if I had taken a step back in time. The city itself was situated high on a hill and built from a sienna colored stone.

"It's so beautiful", I whispered to no on in particular. Aro smiled down at me, obviously happy at my reaction to his home.

We stopped when we finally reached a rather large underground parking garage. Inside, there were more cars than I have ever seen. Many of them were European sports cars that I did not know the names to.

"My Love, I want you to go with Felix and Santiago. They will take you to my rooms so you can get comfortable. I will come for you when we are ready." H gently kissed my lips and brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.

"All right."I smiled at him before I turned and followed the massive Felix and the ever -so - quiet Santiago out the door.

They led me through what seemed like a maze of corridors and and even an elevator before we finally reached Aro's room. I was pleasantly shocked when I went inside. Aro's room was spectacular!

The room was larger than my father's entire house. It was trimmed in gold and burgundy. The bed was larger than any I have ever seen and set on a platform. The canopy above was hung with embroidered silk that matched the bed sheets. Directly across from the bed there was an enormous ornate fireplace. To the right of that, there was a doorway leading to a sitting room. I walked in and my heart skipped a beat. One entire wall was an entire bookcase full of classic literature. I couldn't wait to get my hands on his books!

I continued to roam around his room. Aro had a walk-in closet that ,I think, was larger than Alice's. Then, there was the bathroom. It was done in a soft sand colored marble. There was a giant shower and a jacuzzi tub. Even the bath towels were luxurious

I heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. It was Santiago.

"I have your things, Bella. Master Aro said that he will be finished shortly."

"Thank you, Santiago."

After he left, I decided to freshen up a bit. After traveling on a plane for ten hours and then in a limo for another three, I really needed to make myself look my best.

When I finished, I sat down on the bed and started to brush my hair out, hoping that his familiar action would help to calm my nerves. Very soon I would be meeting the other two Kings of Volterra. For all I knew, the may not like me. What if they didn't approve of Aro having a human mate? This waiting around was going to drive me insane.

**APOV**

The ride in the limo was more interesting than I thought it would be. Jane's behavior was beginning to strike a very big nerve with me. I was fully aware of her feeling with me. I have been for quite some time.

My gift allows me to see every thought an individual has ever had just by a mere touch. No thought can be hidden from me, but for some reason, Jane has been under the impression that she has been able to keep her feelings from me hidden.

I had hoped that over time she would outgrow her little "crush". It was clear that we weren't mates. Jan has been on my guard for over a thousand years. She should know by now . We are surrounded by mated couples. You either are mater or you aren't. It isn't something that you can force.

Isabella is my life now and my love. I can understand Jane being disappointed by that. However, there is no way I can overlook the disrespect that she has been showing my mate.

I was prepared to handle the situation, when Isabella stepped in and dealt with her. I was proud of my mate for putting Jane in her place and even prouder still for not showing any fear. Isabella will make a wonderful Queen. She is already starting to show strong leadership qualities.

But nothing could have prepared me for the surge of excitement I felt when I heard Isabella say "Aro is mine". That could only mean one thing; she was feeling the strength of the mating pull. Soon, very soon I would be claiming her.

Unfortunately, I have some very serious business to attend to. Jane, now, being at the top of the list.

After I sent Isabella off with Felix and Santiago, I took Jane, Alec, and Demetri to my office, where I would deal with Jane's impudence once and for all.

I turned to Jane. " Give me your hand", I demanded her.

She was too slow for my liking, so I snatched her hand and held it,perhaps a little too tightly. Her thoughts towards my mate were both dark and dangerous. Her hatred toward Isabella was very deep. Her jealousy,however, was deeper still.

It was then that I made the decision that would prove to be almost a punishment for her very innocent brother.

"Jane, I need to make a few things clear to you I am very aware of your feelings for me. I have always been aware of them" I looked at her and she began to fidget just a bit. Good. I want her scared.

"Did you forget what my gift is? You thought you could hide them from me. I have seen every thought you have ever had, including the unwelcome ones you have had about me. They disgust me. I do not and will not ever desire you. You are not my mate. Isabella is. It is unwise of you to threaten her. Now, you have pushed my hand. Unfortunately, whatever punishment I give you, Alec will be hurt by it. That is why I have not ripped you to shreds, yet. You are, hereby, removed from the guard and reassigned to the research project in the Netherlands. You will remain there for a period of one hundred years and will not step foot in Volterra during that time. When your one hundred years are up, I will reevaluate you and your attitude to see if you have earned a position back on the guard. Alec, I suggest you say your goodbyes now. She will be leaving within the hour. Demetri, you will be accompanying Jane to her new assignment. Make sure she gets there without incident. Then, I want you to return promptly. Dismissed." I turned and walked out the door, heading to my room.

The situation with Jane had me on edge. She had been on my guard for quite a long time and had always been loyal to me. But, now, I felt as if she had betrayed me by threatening my mate. I hoped I handled things well with her.

I opened the door to my room to find Isabella sitting on the bed brushing her beautiful mahogany hair. She smiled widely when she looked up and saw me standing there.

I strode over to her, grabbed her free hand, and pulled her up and into my arms. I looked into her eyes for a few moments. I bent down and gently kissed her full lips. Bella wrapped her arms around my waist in an attempt to pull herself closer to me.

The taste of my Love was intoxicating. I couldn't get enough of her delicious flavor. Our kiss deepened as we strained to get even closer to one another. My tongue licked along her bottom lip, asking for permission to enter. She eagerly parted her lips for me and moaned when our tongues made contact. God, I couldn't get enough of her. I wanted her. I needed her.

Our kissing grew frenzied. I picked her up, wrapped her legs around my waist ,and pushed her up against the wall. I could feel how hot and wet her pussy was for me. The scent of her arousal hung heavy in the air. I ground my cock against letting her know just how much I wanted her.

I pulled back a little to let her breathe. Her eyes were heavy lidded with her excitement and she was breathing heavy. Magnificent. I traced her curves with my hand, enjoying the sounds of Isabella's moans.

" Can you feel what you do to me? How much you excite me?" I asked her kissing her neck. I ground my hardness into her again, emphasizing my point.

"Ugh, yes. Please" , she begged me, not knowing what it was she was asking.

" I want to be inside you so badly. I need to feel that tight, wet pussy wrapped around me, to claim you and make you mine forever".I told her, leaning my fore head against her and looking into her eyes. We were both breathing heavy.

Again, just when I was about to go further with my mate, I heard Felix approaching the door.

"My Love, Felix is just outside the door. We need to head to the throne room. My bothers need to meet you and we need to discuss with them both the Cullens and Victoria situations."

"Oh. Okay. Aro, I wanted to ask you something Did I overstep my bounds with Jane before? I was so angry, and I felt compelled to deal with her. I didn't want to offend you in any way."

"No, my Sweet. I was quite proud of you. You were well within your rights as my mate and future queen to deal with the threat. You called her out on exactly what her problem was. I must say, you are very insightful. I did read her thoughts, though, and you should know that she has a deep hatred for you. I have removed her from the guard and banished her to another post we hold in a different country. I will not have you in danger."I kissed her reassuringly.

"I love that you want to protect me. I'm not used to it, but I do love it. Thank you", she kissed me softly.

I offered her my arm and walked with her towards the throne room. I could only guess how my brothers were going to take my human mate. Marcus was already aware of her. It was Caius I has to be ready to argue with. This was going to be very interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Same routine; I don't own it. I only own the plot.**

**I can't thank you all enough for the amazing reviews! They fuel me and help me to keep going!**

**Chapter 6**

**BPOV**

I walked with Aro through the labyrinth of corridors on our way to the throne room. It was difficult to believe that just a few minutes prior, Aro and I were involved in a very heavy make out session. A make out session that Felix had to interrupt.

I, honestly, didn't know how much of the sexual tension I was going to be able to take. No man, not even Edward, has ever affected me as deeply as Aro does. He was, by far, the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. He exudes both power and strength.

The few times that Aro kissed me, it was with such intense passion, I felt as if I could drown in it. He never held back, never claimed that he was afraid to hurt me. He took what he knew was his, and it excited me.

But, now, I was walking with him to meet his brothers. I worried about how they would take the knowledge that their brother's mate was human. Would they demand my death? Could they possibly accept me like the few members of the guard that I have met had?

"You're nervous, my Love", Aro stated softly . He stopped and turned to me. He gently cupped my face in his hand, and looked at me ." You have nothing to be concerned about. My brother ,Marcus, already knows about you. He will love you, I'm sure of it. My brother, Caius, he is a bit different. He's very gruff. Do not take it personally, but it usually takes a while for him to warm up to anyone."

" I'm sorry. It's just my nerves are making me insane. I was told once that Caius isn't the warmest individual. In fact, I was led to believe that you and your brothers were rather blood thirsty."

"Hm.. I can imagine who it was that mislead you. I'm sorry he lied to you. While it is true that Caius tends to have difficulty in trusting people, we are not, as you say, blood thirsty. Besides, I would never let any harm come to you", he told me, kissing me on my fore head.

It didn't surprise me in the least that Edward had lied about the Volturi. He had, in fact, proven to be quite an accomplished liar. I have never been more happy than I am right now that I didn't get stuck with his deceitful ass for eternity.

"I know. I trust you completely."I leaned up and brushed my lips against his. He smiled, happy to know that I did, indeed, trust him.

We continued on until way came to large set of double doors. They opened slowly, and we walked inside. The room itself was circular, with cream-colored marble, floors, walls, and columns. It was accented in shades of gold, red, and dark green. Dim light entered the room from small, symmetrically spaced windows near the domed ceiling. At one end of the room, on a raised dais, there were three thrones. The center throne was the only one that was vacant. I knew that one was Aro's.

As we approached. the dais, two vampires occupying the two end thrones, stood. The one on the left was tall, with a medium muscular build, and long black hair. He smiled at me gently and I knew that he must be Marcus. I looked over at the vampire who I now knew was Caius. He was of medium height with the most startling white hair I have ever seen. I braced myself for what was to come.

"Well, Aro, is there something you need to tell us? I take it that this is Ms. Swan." Caius looked between the two of us. He had to be the most intimidating vampire I have ever met.

"As a matter of fact, there is. You were probably wondering why I chose to go to deal with Isabella myself", Aro addressed Caius.

"It was out of character for you to do something like that. You usually leave that kind of a thing up to the guard to handle. So, are you going to tell me what was so detrimental, that you had to get up and leave like you did?",Caius asked.

"That's true. However, this time, I needed to do it myself. Caius, I'm just going to come out and say it. Isabella is my mate. When I saw her in Victoria's thoughts, I felt the mating pull. I spoke with Marcus and he confirmed it. I left to go get my mate."Aro finished.

I stood, wrapped in Aro's arms, looking between the three of them. Caius was silent for a moment.

"You knew. Why didn't you tell me?", Caius asked Marcus.

" I didn't tell you because Aro asked me not to. He wanted to be the one to break the news to you.", Marcus answered him.

"Well, this is unexpected. Aro, I know that you have been alone for a long time. Not once did you ever complain, but that doesn't mean that we didn't notice how lonely you were. I want you to know that I'm happy for you. Already, I can see a difference in you. "Caius turned to me and smiled." Welcome to the family, Isabella. We're certainly happy to meet you."

Marcus stepped forward as well. He offered his hand to Aro, who took it and read his thoughts. A smile broke out on Aro's face.

"This is perfect. I couldn't have chosen better myself. My love, Marcus has shown me some of your lines. Would you like to know them?"Aro asked me.

" I guess, although, I'm not quite sure what that means",I replied nervously.

"Marcus can seen connections between individuals and what kind they are. Like whether or not they are mates, friends, siblings, and so on", Aro answered.

Marcus then stepped toward me."First, I would like to welcome you, Isabella. I am very happy for both you and Aro. It seems that you two are the perfect match. In fact, I have never seen a stronger connection than the one you share. Secondly, it would interest you to know that you have already begun to form very strong bonds with several of the Volturi. With myself, it is a fatherly bond and with Caius, it is one of siblings. You have also formed the same sibling bond with Felix, Demetri and Alec. I have no doubt that after you meet the remainder of the guard, the rest of you lines will be similar. There's something about you that seems to attract our kind."

I giggled at that. "I seem to remember being told that I was a danger magnet and that was why vampires were attracted to me. Well, it was supposed to be either that or my scent. I kind of like knowing that I was destined to be a vampire in the first place. It just feels right."

"My Love, as incredible as your scent is, and believe me, it is, that most certainly has nothing to do with the draw you have for us. Both Felix and Demetri have even commented on it. They are already protective of you, and I'm sure that the longer Alec is around you, he will be as well. I wonder if it may have something to do with your shield. I find it fascinating", Aro speculated

"So, I take it that there are plans to change Isabella", Caius asked Aro.

Aro looked at me and smiled."Although we haven't gotten around to discussing it, I believe it's safe to say that Isabella wants to be changed."

"That's exactly what I want, what I've wanted for a long time now."I admitted to them how I felt. I just didn't tell them that I had pretty much given up on that ever happening. That is, until Aro entered my life.

"I guess, then, you two just need to iron out the when and the how of it. Timing is of the essence. I hate to have to remind you, Aro, but the Cullens have been contacted and will arrive in a weeks time. Apparently, Carlisle wasn't able to get away any sooner", Marcus said.

"All right. That gives us something to think about. Isabella, I have been thinking about changing you sooner rather than later. The only thing that has me thinking twice about that, is the fact that newborns tend to be volatile."Aro stroked my cheek.

"I know. I have heard all about newborns. This is what I want, and I feel like this is the time. And, if I were to be completely honest, I would feel a hell of a lot better about seeing that sorry excuse for a family as a vampire. It's very difficult to stand up to vampires when your a week human.", I explained to them as clearly as I could.

"I think she makes a valid point, Aro. Besides, she will have us to help her. If she were to begin the change immediately, she would finish the transformation before the Cullens arrive" Marcus agreed.

Aro turned to me, tilting my head back so that I could look into his eyes."My Love, if this is truly what you want and you feel that you are ready, then I will agree to it."

"It's what I want. I just need to figure out what I need to do with my father and then everything is set. I'm the only family he has."

"We'll discuss this later. I have an idea, so don't worry". Aro then turned to his brothers. " Marcus, Caius, I should inform you that Jane has been officially removed from our ranks. Her thoughts towards Isabella were violent and she was formulating a plan to 'rid me of her'. She is currently on her way to the Netherlands and will remain there for a period of one hundred years."

"Good. No offense Aro, but that crush she had going on for you was really starting to get out of hand. It was making me nauseous", Caius replied half jokingly. Aro just rolled his eyes at him.

"I can't say that I'm sorry to see her go. I'm sure you're aware that several members of the guard were getting fed up with her attitude. Plus, we were all getting sick of her undressing you with her eyes" Marcus teased mercilessly. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Point well taken. Now, since you all have had your fun, I think my mate needs to eat." Aro gently placed a kiss on top of my head." Felix," Aro called out," Call Gianna in here."

In a few moments, Felix returned with a beautiful Italian , human woman. I didn't expect to see another human here.

Aro turned and addressed her."Gianna, I would like you to take Isabella down to the kitchen so that she can eat something"

"Yes, Master", Gianna replied respectfully.

"Isabella, I want you to follow Gianna. I need to speak with my brothers. I will come get you when I have finished."He kissed me softly.

I turned and followed Gianna out the door and down to the kitchen, trying to memorize my way around the winding corridors.

When we entered the kitchen, I was shocked by what I saw. The kitchen looked as if it belonged in a five star restaurant.

"Wow. I mean, wow." I was at a loss for words.

"I know what you mean. Vampires do everything big. Even if it's something they don't ever use", Gianna piped in.

"I noticed. Have you ever seen Aro's room? I could stay in there forever and die happy."

Gianna and I got along quite well and seemed to have a lot in common. We discussed everything from men to what it's like living in Volterra We made Fettucini Alfredo and shared some gossip.

"You'll love it. I know the Volturi have a certain reputation. It's important for outsiders to believe that they are strict, and they are, if you break the rules. But, somewhere along the line, that morphed into them being referred to as blood thirsty. But, I can tell you that they really are like a close knit family. Well, everyone except Jane. She's just plain bitchy. She's always miserable and likes to make everyone else that way. I feel bad for Alec. I think she takes things out on him and he never retaliates.", Gianna confided in me.

"Well, you should be happy to hear that Aro removed her from the guard and sent her to the Netherlands."

"Seriously?What did she do? When did she do it? How long is she gone for?"Gianna was so excited she was bouncing in her stool.

"Apparently, Jane was angry that I am Aro's mate, so she was coming up with ways to get rid of me. He banished her for one hundred years. You know, while we were on the jet coming here, she and I had some words. She told me that I was a 'blood-bag' and should be treated as such. That was the second time I have heard Aro growl. I have to say, he has the sexiest growl."

"I can't believe she was that foolish to even try to think of something like that. Did she forget what Master Aro's gift is? It's not like she could hide something like that from him. And what about Alec? I feel so bad for him. Do you realize that this will be the first time that they will ever be separated for any period of time? "

"Oh no. Really? I feel so bad for him. I hope this turns out to be something positive for him. He seems really nice. I like him. In fact, Alec, Felix and Demetri were all great" I told her.

" Wait a second. Didn't Santiago go with Aro?"

" Well, yea, but the verdict still out on him. I just get weird vibes where he's concerned."

"I don't want to freak you out, but your not the only one who gets freaked out by him. He has always done that to me. I don't know why. It's not like he's ever done anything"Gianna confided in me.

At least I know it's not all in my head. I found a small amount in comfort in that.

I was about to reply when Aro and his brothers came in. All three of them looked livid. Something has happened.

"Aro, what's wrong?", I asked him, my voice filled with concern.

"My Love. We have just received word from Demetri. There is a problem. " He grabbed me up in his arms.

"Little One, Jane has gotten away. Demetri is tracking her, but it would appear that she had help."Marcus told me calmly.

" Who? What aren't you telling me?" I was getting more nervous by the second. I looked between them and saw them hesitate in telling me.

"It was Santiago. She orchestrated circumstances so that when she left with Demetri, Santiago would go down to the dungeon and release Victoria. The three of them are on the loose. We are sending the elite guard after them. "Aro held me in his arms.

" Why do I have the very distinct feeling that there's more to it?", I observed.

"Mia Stella, both Jane and Victoria want you dead. They have promised to give you to Santiago to do with as he pleases, as long as the end result is your death",Caius answered me .

"That jealous bitch. I seriously need to kick her ass. If she thinks that I'm going to crawl in a corner somewhere and fear for my safety, then she can think again. And don't get me started on that redheaded bimbo. Someone need to wake them the hell up, and I need to be the one to do it." I angrily turned to Aro. " Change me. I'm not sitting on the sidelines anymore."

" Wow, Aro. You certainly have your hands full." Caius tried not to laugh. I turned and gave him a dirty look. He put his hands up in surrender.

"I agree with you. She needs to be humiliated and who better to do it than the one who took from her what she wanted most", Marcus agreed.

"Well then, I guess it's settled. If you will excuse us. Isabella and I have much to discuss. Brothers, make sure you're on hand. We may ,very well, have a newborn on hand soon.?"

With that, Aro and I headed back to his room. If everything went the way I hoped, I not only would be able to rid myself of this sexual frustration, but I also would be able to, finally, be changed.

Jane and Victoria better watch themselves because they pissed of the wrong woman. I'm fighting for what's mine. I've had enough of dealing with women who can't take"no" for an answer, or can't get over themselves. Wake the hell up. You're not that special. It looks like I need to bash it in their heads. Get ready! Vampire Bella is just around the corner**.**

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><p><strong>Translation:Mia Stella- My Star<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm sick of these stinkin' notes. I don't own it, just the plot.**

**I am blown away by all the awesome reviews I have been getting for "Unexpected Love"! I'm really excited about this story and I'm glad that so many are enjoying it. Hang on, because it's only going to get better. **

**I'm still without a beta, so no matter how many times I proofread, I still miss some mistakes. Please just bear with me. As always, I love those reviews. They keep me kickin'.**

**chapter 7**

**APOV**

As I watched Isabella follow Gianna out, I couldn't help the feeling of relief that washed over me. I knew that Marcus would accept my mate, but I never would have guessed how accepting Caius would be. To say that I was content would be an understatement.

"Well,Brother, I feel as if I should congratulate you. That mate of yours is very beautiful", Caius complimented me.

I walked up the few steps to my throne and sat down. I'm sure the ridiculous grin I had on my face was testament enough to how happy my Isabella has already made me.

"Thank you ,Brother. Of course, I whole heatedly agree with you. And, thank you both for accepting her. She has already become my everything",I replied.

"Aro, how could we keep you from your happiness? Caius and I both have been fortunate enough to know the love of our mates for well over two thousand years. The joy we both experience is certainly not something we could ever deny you", Marcus informed me.

"To be honest with the two of you, I had know clue that the mating pull would feel this intense. Of course, I've seen it in the thoughts of other mated couples,but that is nothing compared to feeling the real thing. Even now, I'm having extreme difficulty being away from her. The pain radiating in my chest keeps growing, and I won't even go into the intense need I have to claim her. Please tell me that this is normal?"

"Trust us when we tell you that that is perfectly normal", Caius answered wryly.

"Not to put a damper on anything, but, it will only get worse the longer you put off the claiming. I suggest you do it as soon as possible. And, if your concerned about her getting to know you better and giving her a chance to fall in love with you, I can honestly tell you that the lines I see coming from her tell me that you really have nothing to worry about", Marcus explained with a grin.

I looked at him slightly confused. "What do you mean about her lines?"

"He means that she's already in love with you. Seriously, I don't need a gift to see that. Anyone who has ever seen the way she looks at you can see that she's in love with you", Caius told me with a laugh.

I couldn't help the rush of pure joy that shot straight through me upon hearing that. I knew that Isabella cared for me, but to hear that she was already in love with me was so much more than I could have hoped for.

"Aro,Isabella not only loves you ,but she also wants to be changed. I suggest you get a move on. I believe the term is ' kill two birds with one stone'.I , personally, don't see any reason for you to drag things out", Marcus said encouragingly.

"You're right", I agreed." I will talk to her about it as soon as possible".

Caius was about to add something when , Afton, came rushing in. By the look on his face, this couldn't have been good news.

"Masters, there has been an incident. We have just received word from Demetri. Jane has escaped. He believes she had assistance",he informed us.

I was livid. How dare she betray me in such a blatant way! I should have torn her apart when I had the chance. I will not make the same mistake twice.

"What kind of assistance?" I already had my suspicions, but I wanted them verified.

"He believes it was Satiago. He said that Santiago has an unhealthy obsession with Ms. Swan and thinks that Jane is using that to her advantage"he told me nervously.

Just as I suspected. I now had two traitors to deal with. Something about all of this just didn't feel right to me.

"Felix, go down to the dungeon. Check on Victoria and come right back. Be quick about it", I ordered.

Felix flashed out of the room, leaving me to my thoughts. I could barely hear my brothers talking to me. I was too deep in thought. My concern for my mate was growing with every passing second.

He returned within minutes and I knew without him saying anything that Victoria was gone.

"We need to tell Isabella. I can't keep something like this from her. She has a right to know", I told them.

"We agree with you. She should ,also, be in on how we plan on going about capturing the three of them", Caius said.

With that we headed down to the kitchen to talk to my Beloved. I feared her reaction. For a year now she had to deal with a deranged vampire trying to kill her. Now, she has three. It doesn't seem fair. She never did anything to deserve this. No matter what, I would protect her.

Of course, I never expected the response I got. She was livid and rightly so. My fierce little mate refused to cower in fear. She wanted to fight, to be the one that takes them down. Now, how could I say no to that?

We were now seated in the sitting room just off of our bedroom. I had her sitting on my lap and I wanted to iron out details with her before we took anything further.

"My love, I will handle everything in regards to your father. I don't want you to worry. You will still be able to call him, for now. The most important thing for you to do is insure him that you are safe and happy. We don't need any officers of the law showing up here", I explained to her

"Thank you,Aro. I do trust you. I was just worried about how he would handle me not returning to him. As difficult as it is to leave him,I know that this is what I want and this is where I'm meant to be."

I cupped her face in my hands and looked into her liquid chocolate, brown eyes. This amazing creature never seemed to stop surprising me. She was so sure of herself. There was no fear, no hesitation in her eyes, only acceptance.

"My Love, I hope you know that there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you. You are my everything now. For three thousand years I have been alone. Watching other mated couples bask in their joy and in their love. Seeing my own brothers know a level of happiness that I thought I would never find. I have felt so empty and hollow inside, desperate to share my life with my mate. I was unwilling to settle for anything less. So, I decided that if I never found her, that I would be alone. The day Victoria walked into the throne room was the greatest day of my life. That was the day I found you. The pull to you was so strong that I left right away to get you. When I saw you laying there, asleep on your bed, I had never seen anyone more beautiful. You take my breath away and complete me in ways I never imagined. Isabella, I love you with everything that is in me. I love you."I reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

She looked into my eyes and smiled."When Edward left,I did know that we weren't mates. I was okay with that. Frankly, I was happy. He didn't treat me the way I deserved. But, afterward, I made the decision to not date anyone. I wanted to wait. After seeing for myself that soul-mates did really existed, I wanted to wait for mine. Whether my soul-mat was a human or a vampire didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that I wait. Aro, I can't believe that you are my mate. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because I'm afraid I'm going to wake up and find out that it has all been a dream It's so unbelievable that my mate is this amazingly, intelligent, powerful, sexy man , who I get to be with and who I love more than anything."

Hearing her finally tell me that she loves me was almost more than I could take. I grabbed her and kissed her deeply. I turned her to straddle me,pulling her soft body closer to my hard one. I felt her hard nipples press against my chest. My one hand held her head while I devoured her mouth and my other hand grabbed her tight little ass. I ground my hardness up into her hot core, trying to get closer to her. God, she felt amazing.

"Do you have any idea what it is that you do to me, my Love? How badly I want to bury my cock so deeply inside you . How much I have been wanting to claim you and make you mine forever?"

"Please. I want you. Take me. Claim me", she begged me breathlessly.

I growled low when she said that. Standing up, I wrapped her legs around my waist,and ran towards the bed. Kissing her deeply, I set her on her feet. Grabbing her shirt, I tore it from her body and threw it across the room. I did the same with her jeans. She now stood before me in nothing more than a black lace trimmed bra and matching boy shorts. She was breath taking! I picked her up and placed her on the bed. Crawling up over her delectable body, I crushed mouth mouth down on hers. I groaned, or perhaps,she did,but either way,it was swallowed up by the desire that was between us .

I slowly made my way down to her full breasts. I caressed them gently through the fabric of her bra, A soft moan escaped from Isabella's throat."I need to see all of you." I tore the remaining garments off of her. Her breast spilled out into my eager hands. They were full and her dark pink nipples were hard and begging for attention. I took one nipple into my mouth and proceeded to suck and lick it, driving Isabella to thrash and moan from the pleasure I was giving her.

After spending a few minutes on her luscious breasts, I could no longer resist the tempting scent of her arousal."Mm. My Love. You smell so good. I need to taste you. I can't wait any longer."I slowly began making my way down , kissing her everywhere I could. The closer I got to her pussy, the more turned on I was getting. The scent of her arousal was mouthwatering! I opened her legs farther to get better access to her pussy. I was pleased to see that my mate was completely bare. I leaned forward and took one long lick up her slit and was rewarded with the sweetest taste I have ever found. This was pure Isabella. She tasted better than blood.

I put my hands beneath her , pulling her closer to my mouth. I concentrated on her hard clit, sucking and lapping at it. Isabella was getting wetter by the minute. Gently, while still licking on her hard nub, I slid one finger into her. My God, she was tight!I stroked her deeply, hearing her plead with with me for more.

I was now harder than I have ever been in my existence. I could no longer wait to take her. I sat up quickly and ripped the shirt off me. Standing up, I remove my pants. Isabella's eyes watched my every move. I can tell by the look in her eye that she like what she sees.

"My Love, I know you are innocent. I will be gentle, but I can't wait any longer to have you", I assure her. I bent down and kissed her passionately. Slowly, I slid my heavy length inside her until I came in contact with her hymen. I gave her a moment to adjust to my size. When I felt her relax, I pushed myself all the way in. She gasped from the jolt of pain and there were tears in her eyes. I waited again before I moved.

"Sweetheart, are you all right?"

"Yes...I'm all right" she replied quietly. I bent forward and gave her a deep tender kiss, helping her to forget all the pain.

When I began to move, Isabellas' body sprang to life. She arched upward, trying to meet each of my thrusts. Instinctively, she parted her legs , taking my length deeper into herself. I groaned, as I surged forward, grinding and fucking her as hard as I could with out hurting her. I couldn't believe how good she felt. So tight and wet and hot.

I watched my Love as she thrashed her head and moaned,. I knew she was close. I reached down and played with her clit, while I continued to pound into her. That did it. I felt the slick walls of her pussy begin to quiver.

" Cum , Baby. Cum for me. Let me feel your pussy milking my cock" No sooner had I said that then she started to scream my name, her orgasm bringing on my own.

I kissed her lips softly."I love you. You are my heart and my forever." And, with that, I leaned down and bit her neck.

My Love smiled at me, happy that I have given it to her. "I love you, Aro."she told me softly.

I got up quickly and ran to the bathroom. I filled the jacuzzi tub so I could bathe Isabella. In just a few minutes the burning would begin and I wanted to make her as comfortable as I can before hand.

I bathed her, dressed her and laid her down on our bed. I sat there and waited. After and hour, she still hadn't begun screaming and I was now getting worried. I didn't know what to think. This was unusual and I was starting to get seriously concerned. My mate laid there looking as if she were sleeping when she should be writhing in pain. I knew of only one other vampire who was quiet during his transformation and I didn't dare contact him. My Love would never forgive me if I called him for any advice. After the way he and his family abandoned her, she would much rather not have anything to do with him ever again. So, I sat there patiently waiting and watching,looking for any and all signs that Isabella's transformation was progressing.

It was only after twenty four hours into it that I began to see the differences in my Love. Her skin was slightly harder and her temperature was a few degrees cooler. Her hair had grown several more inches and darkened slightly. I was relieved to see the changes, because she still hadn't uttered a sound. I continued to keep my silent vigil over my mate, unable to tear myself away from her side. I already missed her and I couldn't wait to begin our forever.

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><p><strong>AN: Again, I know, we all hate these. This was my very first attempt at a lemon. After rewriting it multiple times(and pulling my hair out even more), I finally settled on this. I hope you enjoyed it. It was my desire for you, as a reader, to get a better idea of how I view my version of Aro. Yes, he's powerful, but he's also passionate and very much in love with Bella. I, certainly, do not want anyone to think he has no backbone. Believe me, that will come in to play in future chapters. Thank you, again, for reading! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: After all this time and all the wishful thinking; I still don't own it. The plot is mine, though.**

**I'm loving the reviews! You guys keep me going even when I don't feel like I can. Thank you so much! Feel free to drop more my way. (Hint-hint)**

**I still do not have a beta, so all mistake our mine alone. **

**Chapter 8**

**BPOV**

Making love with Aro had been more incredible than any other experience I had ever had in my entire life. He was both gentle and romantic. Passionate and sexy. He made me feel desirable and cherished.

I knew Aro had bitten me. I felt the sting from that bite, but I never felt the all-consuming burn I was always told the transformation would bring. Instead of feeling as if I had been lit on fire, I felt as if I was immersed in an intense static charge. My entire body felt as if it was humming .Although, it was uncomfortable, I wasn't in the extreme agony that I had anticipated.

I don't know how long I laid here, waiting impatiently for something, anything to happen. For some odd reason, I felt as if I was weighed down and I could not move. I tried to fight the invisible force that held me , but it was useless. I was powerless against it. There was nothing I could do , but lay there and wait until it lifted on its own.

I could here Aro speaking to me, telling me how much he loved me and how he couldn't wait for our forever to begin. I heard the concern in his voice. I knew my transformation was not the norm and it worried him. I heard his brothers come in at one point, to check on me. They discussed how I was doing. As hard as I tried to move or even to utter a sound to let them know I was fine, I couldn't. Whatever was happening to me, hindered me from any kind of movement.

I began to notice the differences in my own body. My hearing had improved tremendously. I could now hear birds chirping, the sound of a babbling brook, a group of people laughing. My sense of smell also improved dramatically. I smelled what could only be the musty smell of the castle. There was also the scent of wildflowers, cinnamon, and honey. I even felt stronger, somehow. It was odd that I could feel it considering I was unable to move, but it was a significant difference.

I became impatient laying here. Since I was unable to do anything, and I was told once, a long time ago, that memories often fade during the transformation, I decided to think about my life. I tried to remember everything. I thought, of my mother, who stabbed me in the back, of my father who was always supportive of me. I thought about when I moved to Forks and even of when I met the Cullens. I remembered all of it. I most, certainly, remembered Victoria and her ridiculous vendetta against me. And, now, I remembered Jane. The pathetic excuse for a vampire who wanted my mate. I will never forget that I have some scores to settle. There are people who need to suffer and I'm the one they need to worry about. The Piper needs to be paid and she's coming.

**APOV**

I watched over my Love as she lay there, never moving or making a sound. I had personally changed several vampires myself and no transformation was like this. This was unprecedented. It was very nerve racking not being able to do anything or not having any control.

It was now thirty six hours into her change and her heart was speeding up to its final beat. This was unheard of. No change is ever this fast. My brothers stood beside me in anticipation of what was to come. We had no clue what to expect of my Isabella or what kind of newborn she would be. I had Felix stand outside the door just in case we would need his help. Newborns were notorious for being volatile and unpredictable. It was best to be prepared for anything, especially with circumstance so far from being normal.

I looked at the love of my existence and I couldn't believe how utterly breathtaking she was. I thought she was gorgeous before, but now, she was beyond my wildest imaginings. Her hair, which was to the middle of her back before, was now past her waist. It had taken on reddish highlights and now had a stunning shine to it. Her body took on even more curves giving her an incredibly voluptuous figure while still being tight and toned.

We listened as her pulse sped up and her heart shuddered, fighting a losing battle. One, two, three beats and then nothing. It was over. My mate was now mine for eternity. We waited ,with baited breath, for her to open her eyes. A minute later, Isabella took us by complete surprise. When she opened her eyes, we were greeted with her electrifying blue orbs. They were dazzling.

"Isabella, are you all right, my Love?" I asked her.

She looked at me and smiled. Getting up from the bed, she walked over to me and threw her arms around my neck. Not wanting to upset her, I gently tried to loosen her grip. As a newborn, Isabella would be stronger than us for several months."Oops, I'm sorry. I forgot. I'm stronger than you, for now."

I leaned down and kissed her. "That's all right, my Love. How are you? We have been concerned. You transformation was... a bit different."

She bit her full bottom lip nervously. God, what that luscious lip does to me. "I don't really understand it. I was expecting to burn. I mean, when I was bit by James, it burned like someone had doused my had in flames. I was told the stories, so I was expecting that in a much larger scale . The problem is is that I never burned. Not once. In fact, it felt like I was statically charged. I couldn't even move or speak even though I was completely aware of my surroundings. I tried to call out to you , but I was unable to."

"Isabella, please don't be concerned. Although your change has been a bit odd, to say the least, there is nothing to worry about. If there's anything we have learned from our many years ,it's that there is a reason for everything" Caius said comfortingly.

"Aro, I think the color of her eyes have something to do with her change. What color was her shield?" Marcus asked.

"Whoa, wait a minute. What do you mean the 'color of my eyes'? Aren't they red?" Isabella asked. With that, she ran to the mirror. When she saw her blue eyes, she yelped in surprise. "Aro, why are my eyes blue?"

" My Love, Marcus may be on to something. This probably has something to do with your gift. When that vampire attacked you in Forks, your shield was clear blue. Now, your eyes are blue. This most certainly isn't a coincidence. I think we need to test your gift." I told her. I took her in my arms and kissed the top of her head.

"Yea, I'm all for it. I need to learn to fight, anyway. I have some asses to kick and I want to make sure I really cause some permanent harm. By permanent, I mean, leaving them in a smoldering pile of ash. So, when do we start?" Isabella asked a bit too eagerly.

My brothers and I couldn't help but laugh. She sounded so eager yet so cute at the same time. I loved my fierce little mate.

"Well, Aro, you certainly have your hands full. I would never cross her if I were you" Caius joked.

"All right, Sweetheart. Will start the training shortly, but aren't you thirsty? You did just wake up? " I asked her watching her closely. She literally showed no sign of any thirst. This is getting stranger by the second.

"Not at all. There isn't even a tickle in my throat. Why do you think that is?" she asked.

" I'm not sure ,My Love, but I think we should try to get you to drink a little, at least. We'll go from there. My question for you is whether or not you wanted to follow the Cullen's diet or do you want to go the more traditional route?" I asked her.

"Aro, I don't wish to have myself associated with them in any way, and that includes how I choose to feed." she said firmly.

" Whatever you want, Sweetheart. Felix, fetch Isabella some blood. Be quick about it." I turned to my brothers and noticed Marcus eying Isabella and me oddly. "Marcus, what's wrong? You have a very strange look about you."

"I'm not sure if it's something wrong. It's more like something that adds to the mystery that is Isabella's change. I have been looking at the lines that connect the two of you. As you know, the lines between mates is a bright gold and that the one you two share is the brightest I have ever seen." I nodded at him, acknowledging what he just said."Well, a new line has formed between the two of you and it's blue."

I grabbed his hand and saw for myself that,indeed, there was a new line. It wasn't just blue. It almost looked like an electric current running between us.

Have you seen anything like this before?" I asked him .

"No. Nothing even close has ever come to my attention. I have seen lines of royal blue, which are an indication of loyalty, but nothing like an electric current" he explained.

I walked over to a chair and sat down. This was becoming more of a mystery by the second. I didn't want to alarm Isabella. The look in here eyes already told me that she was concerned. I gestured for her to come over and sit on my lap. Felix showed up a moment later with a cup of blood for her.

"All right, Sweetheart. Drink this. It donated blood that we keep on hand just in case there are any emergencies or we have newborns running about", I teased her.

She grabbed the cup and smelled it's contents. Wrinkling her nose at the aroma, she began to drink it. No sooner had she finished it, than she began clutching her stomach in pain. She ran to the bathroom, and threw up all the blood. When she finished emptying the contents of her stomach, I took her in my arms, only to be shocked even further. My mates eyes were now glowing.

"Caius,Marcus!" I barked at them. They came running to the bathroom and stopped short when they saw my Love's eyes.

"Aro, I think we need to call Eleazer. We need to find out what's going on. The sooner the better. He can give us a better idea of what we are dealing with" Caius suggested.

"Make the call. Just make sure he isn't told who he's coming to evaluate. I know he's close friends with Carlisle. I don't want him to give the Cullens a heads up on whats going to happen." I told him sternly. I knew Caius could handle it discreetly."Tell him to get here immediately. That means he needs to drop everything."

Caius and Marcus both left giving me and my mate some privacy. I knew she was becoming more worried by what was happening.

"Are you still not thirsty?' I asked her puling her along with me to go sit on the bed.

"No. I feel fine. I know I'm not supposed to be. I know I'm supposed to be trying to rampage my way throughout the town, leaving a path of destruction in my wake. But, I'm not thirsty and I don't understand why that is. Is there something wrong with me?" she asked me.

"There is nothing wrong with you. You are special, a unique treasure. A vampire's gift can manifest in different ways . There is no text book way for it to occur. We already know you have a gift. We just don't have any in depth information about it. Eleazer's gifts is being able to detect gifts in other vampires. He will be able to narrow things down for us and explain your gift in greater detail" I explained to her.

"It figures. I can't even pull off being a vampire without a glitch. I wasn't a normal human, so why would I be normal vampire?"

" Sweetheart, you weren't a normal human because your destiny was guiding you to something greater. The simple and mundane would never be enough for you. I love you. You are perfect the way you are and I don't want you to worry about what's going on. We'll find out soon enough. While we are waiting for Eleazer to arrive, why don't we head out to the yard. We can practice with your shield."

She hopped up eagerly. " Okay. I really don't want to sit around waiting. I want to learn how to put up that shield because I still have no clue how I did it."

I grabbed her hand and led her out to the yard where the guard was training. We watched them for a few moments when I signaled Alec to come over to us.

"My Love, I'm going to have Alec help you with your training. His gift is sensory deprivation. In short, he can cut off any or all of your senses. He will be using his gift on you. You have to concentrate and dig deep down inside to try to find what triggers your shield. It may take some time. Don't lose hope if you don't get it right away. It's normal for a vampire to work several decades to master their talent" I encouraged her.

"I know. I remember being told that. Okay, Alec. Let's proceeding with the numbing."I watched as my mate walked off with Alec. I stood there and watched her training and was quite impressed. Isabella remained calm the entire time and refused to give up even after Alec had blocked all of her senses. After only four hours of work, Alec was attempting to block her senses again and Isabella's clear blue shield appeared and protected her from the attack. The only difference this time was that her eyes were glowing. She was quite proud of herself for being able to do it .but I wanted her to learn how to do it on a whim.

"Very good, my Love. Now, all you need to do is learn to put it up whenever you want to. Alec, continue." I watched as they continued and was amazed that Isabella was able put her shield up each time. I walked over to them "I'm impressed. You learned how to shield yourself in a matter of four hours. That's unheard of." I praised my mate."Now, I want you to see if you can stretch it and not only protect yourself, but protect someone else. I want you to try to protect me. Alec proceed" and with that, all my senses were removed. I waited for only a few minutes when suddenly, my they returned and I saw myself encompassed in Isabella's shield. I was amazed by my mate. She was beyond incredible.

Isabella let down her shield and smiled at me. "It's easy, when I figured it out. At first, I tried to think of my shield as a balloon expanding, but that didn't work. I, then, remembered what Marcus said about our lines and also how I felt during my change. So, I thought about something more along the lines of an electric field. It was then that I was able to expand my shield."

I looked at her in surprise. I have never come across a gift such as hers. Renata was a shield, but her gift had absolutely nothing to do with electricity. I was getting impatient to see what Eleazer was going to say. My instincts tell me that there is more to her gift than just a mere shield.

"My Love, that's amazing. You figured that out on your own in a very impressive short amount of time. You should be proud of yourself " I praised her.

"Thank you and thank you, Alec for helping me. Your gift is incredible."

"Your welcome, Ms. Swan." Alec responded.

I looked into my loves eyes and saw the glow in them slowly begin to fade. She was incredible. I was so proud of her already and I knew that she was only going to continue to surprise me.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: It's not mine. My luck will never be that good. I just own the plot.**

**I have gotten so many awesome reviews. I feel like I'm on cloud nine, or a reasonable facsimile. A lot of you have speculated on where I'm taking this story, and a few of you were close. The only hint you'll get from me is that the future chapters will be unlike anything else you have ever read. So, I hope you continue to enjoy.**

**I still have no beta. All mistakes are mine.**

**Chapter 9**

**BPOV**

I was a little over twenty four hours into this life and I have become obsessed with training and controlling my shields. Yes, I said shields. After the first several hours of training, I discovered that I actually had two shields. It made complete sense to me. I had my mental shield which protected me from any type of mental attack, and I had a physical shield. It was my physical shield that seemed to want to give me the hardest time. After Aro became the guinea pig for several of Alec's attacks, I was easily able to expand my shield to include him. Perhaps, it was due to the fact that he was my mate and the thought of any harm coming to him upset me greatly. But, whatever the reason was, I was now able to successfully throw out my shield to cover several people at once.

I was still unable to feed and had no desire to do so. There was no burn in my throat at all. After an entire day without any blood-lust rearing it's ugly head, I think it's safe to say that it might not happen. I'm just going to take that as a plus. As a matter of fact; nothing about my transformation was normal. So, I guess I could be thankful.

Eleazar was due to be here by late this evening and I don't mind saying that I 'm nervous .I'm nervous about finding out why my transformation was so odd and why I can't feed. But, I'm really nervous about finding out about my gift . Aro assured me that all our questions would be answered.

I was currently curled up in a chair in our sitting room reading Wuthering Heights. Aro had actually ordered me to take a break, claiming that I had been training too hard and I was over working poor Alec.

In the time that Alec and I trained, I was able to get to know him. I had felt bad for him because his sister was banished. Knowing that this was the first time in his long existence to not be with her, I was worried about how he was handling it. He surprised me. He was actually upset with her,offended and embarrassed by her behavior. He couldn't believe that she betrayed Aro after Aro was the one that saved them from being burned at the stake so long ago. It was obvious to me which twin was the mature, responsible one. I just wish he didn't have to be hurt by his sister's actions.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear Aro come in. He sat down beside me and pulled me onto his lap. I snuggled right into him, loving the feel of his muscular body against me. Threading my fingers through his long raven hair,I kissed him deeply. Loving the way he tastes, I moaned into his mouth. Our kissing got hotter as he tried to pull me even closer, running his hands all over my body. Not willing to wait any longer, we began tearing the clothes off of each other.

"God, Isabella! I need to be inside you right now!" Aro picked me up and shoved me up against the wall. I was too excited to care. I could feel my arousal beginning to drip down my thighs and I knew he could smell it.

"Please. I need you. Fuck me." Aro kissed me hard while at the same time slamming his hard cock in my dripping pussy.. I wrapped my legs around his waist, screaming his name. He fucked me hard and deep, never letting up.

"You're so tight... so wet" he panted.

"Oooh...You're so big. I love how you feel inside me" I was breathless from what he was doing to me. This was no gentle lovemaking. This was rough ,hard , and wild, and I loved it! I could feel my orgasm was close.

Aro started slamming his cock into me harder and faster . Just as our orgasms crashed down on us, I felt Aro's teeth locked down on the base of my neck,just as mine locked down on his, and we bit down ,marking each other for eternity.

We held each other, giving each other soft kisses. He set me down, but kept me in his arms.

"I love you, Isabella. You truly are my everything"

"I love you. You mean more to me than I can ever properly put into words After the hundred year old virgin, veggie vamp dumped me, I never thought I would end up in the supernatural world again. Not only am I,but I ended up being mated to the hottest vampire around. It may have been unexpected, but I have never been happier." I kissed him again, so happy to be his. The look in his beautiful ruby eyes was of pure love.

We were interrupted,again, by Felix approaching the door, informing us that Eleazar was able to get an earlier flight and would be arriving in twenty minutes.

My entire body tensed up hearing this bit of news.

"Relax, my Love. Everything is going to be fine .We need to make ourselves presentable .It would be impolite to not be able to greet our guest when he first arrives."

We quickly showered and dressed and made our way to the throne room. Both Marcus and Caius were already there waiting.

"Isabella, why in the world do you look so nervous? " Marcus asked me, hugging me gently.

"I guess you can say that I'm more afraid of finding out that there's something wrong with me. You have to admit; my transformation wasn't normal", I told him.

Aro wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him, with my back to his chest."You'll be fine" he whispered in my ear.

"Isabella, seriously, you have nothing to worry about. We have known Eleazar for a long time. He use to be a member of the guard, but he found his mate and decided to leave us. His gift is more like a diagnostic tool and not at all invasive. He will know what's going on with you, and isn't that better than being in the dark?" Caius questioned me. He was right. Not knowing was driving me insane.

I looked up when I heard the large double doors open and saw Felix escorting a tall, well built vampire with black hair. He was obviously of Spanish descent and it didn't escape my notice that he had amber eyes. Another vegetarian .

"Eleazar,welcome. It is good to see you and thank you for coming on such a short notice. It is very much appreciated." Aro stepped forward and shook hands with him.

"I'm happy to help. I was a little surprised by your call for help. You haven't been in need of my services in a while. "Eleazar smiled at Aro, when his eyes shifted to me, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh my God. If I didn't see this with my own eyes,I would never believe it", he exclaimed while walking over to me.

"Allow me to introduce you to my mate, Eleazar. This is Isabella" Aro said to him, watching him closely.

"Hello, Isabella. It is a pleasure to met you. Do you know what my gift is?" he asked me quietly.

"Yes. You are able to determine what gifts, if any, other vampires have."

"Yes, but more to the point, I know exactly what power it is and how strong it is. I can tell every facet of that power, as well", he clarified it for me."I can tell you that you are a shield. In fact , you have two shields."

"I know, I've been working on them. Mostly, I've been working on my physical shield, though". I informed him.

"Are you also aware that your shield is energy related? Your physical shield manifests as a clear blue, does it not?" he asked me. We all shook our heads yes."Your eyes are blue as well. Electric blue. Tell me, Aro, have her eyes ever glowed?"

"Yes, they have. Not too soon after she first woke up. She tried to drink a cup of blood but got very sick from it. She vomited all of it. Afterward, her eyes were glowing. I also noticed them glowing during training", he informed him.

"Okay. Next question. Isabella, during your transformation, did you burn?", he asked me .

"No. All I felt was something closer to an electric charge", I explained to him. My nerves were starting to really act up and I felt Aro pull me into his arms again to try to calm me.

"The reason for that is simple. You were. Isabella is very special. Her strength, her gift, everything is fueled by energy. Energy is in everything and surrounds us all the time. Isabella's body is now capable of pulling energy out of any source, in order to empower herself. That is why she cannot feed on blood. Her body does not need it. It never will. Think of her as more of a super conductor if that helps", he explained.

" Great. I'm a freak. You're telling me that I eat energy", I said to him miserably.

"No, Isabella. You don't eat it. Your body draws it into itself from your surroundings. That does not make you a freak. Now, the other interesting aspect to this is how it affects your physical shield. You are already able to block physical attacks and that's great, but what you don't know is that you are able to channel an electric charge to your shield and, in essence, electrocute your attacker. It's a very powerful gift, more like two in one."He looked at me in awe and it made me a little uncomfortable. How did this happen to me?

"This is unheard of. Impressive, but unheard of", Marcus mumbled.

"Amazing. I never would have guessed anything like this", Aro said absentmindedly.

"There's one other interesting thing. This affects you, Aro. Marcus might be able to explain more, as well. I'm picking up a connection between Isabella's power and you, something along the lines of a conduit running between the two of you. It 's definitely going both ways which leads me to believe, Aro, that you also have access to Isabella's power. I don't know why, but that is what I'm picking up", Eleazar told him carefully.

I was in shock and by the looks of it, I wasn't the only one. Everyone in the throne room looked like they had just seen a ghost.

"That certainly does explain the odd line I have been seeing running between them. It's a bright electric blue, almost like an energy current", Marcus informed him.

"Well, that confirms it. With training, the two of you could be deadly. You are going to have to work on it and try to figure out how to trigger it, but if anyone can, it's Aro."

"Geez, Aro. Do you always have to be such an over-achiever?", Caius teased. Aro just rolled his eyes at him.

" I need to make sure you both understand that ,alone, Isabella is extremely powerful, but together, the two of you will be unstoppable. And, Isabella, remember when I said that you pull energy from your surroundings?" he asked me. I nodded my head."That also includes Aro Since he's a vampire and can not ever tire, you literally have an endless supply of energy ."

" Aro, did you hear that? Your my battery!" I teased him. He laughed and kissed my head. "Yea, more training!" Everyone laughed when I said that. I like to train and I didn't know why everyone hated it.

"Aro certainly got the perfect mate for him", Marcus said.

"Yes, I do. And, speaking of which, Eleazar, it is imperative that you do not tell the Cullens that she is here. There are circumstances that you are not aware of and it is best for all concerned that they remain in the dark", Aro told him sternly.

Eleazar's eyes lit up as if he just realized something important."You're that Isabella? I had no idea. Of course, I'll keep it to myself, Aro."

"Will you be staying with us or do you have to leave right away?", Caius asked him.

"I have to head back. Irina's mate is missing and she has been going frantic with worry. Frankly, she's been driving us all nuts. I was actually grateful for the chance to get away, even if it was only for a few hours", he informed us.

"Well, either way, it was good to see you. Try not to stay away so long next time", Marcus joked.

Eleazar said his farewells and left. Aro looked at me and I could tell that there was something bothering him.

"Aro, what is it?You've got that look."

"It's something that was in Eleazar's thoughts. It has to do with the Cullens", he answered.

"I figured that he must know them. Not all vampires have amber eyes." I just knew I wasn't going to like where this was going.

"Apparently, when they left Forks, they moved to Alaska, where they were neighbors. From what Eleazar's memories tell me, none of the Cullens, except Edward, wanted to leave you. In fact, there was a huge argument over it. It seems as if the family is in turmoil", he informed us. I wasn't quite sure how to take this bit of news. For so long now, I believed that none of them cared about me and that all I was to them was nothing more than a toy, something you throw away when it no longer served a purpose. The fact that Edward wanted to leave, didn't faze me. I simply didn't care. I had Aro. I had his love and he fulfilled me in ways that Edward would never be capable of. But, the possibility that the family ,who I had loved so much, may actually love me as well, was a lot to take in.

Sensing my distress, Aro took me in his arms."I'm sorry. I know it's a lot to take in, but I couldn't keep that information from you. You had a right to know. What ever you decide to do, I will support you."

I reached up and kissed his cheek."I know. I just have to process this information. I'll figure it out. Eventually."

"Well, at least it's not boring around here", Caius piped in. I giggled a little, thinking about how true that statement was.

"I need to clear my head. I fee like training."Was it me, or did I hear someone groan when I said that?

I needed to train to try to center my thoughts. I have so much to think about now and I felt like I was being pulled into too many different directions. I needed to get it together. I can't allow this newest development to deter me from taking care of business. I still have some ass to kick and I'm not letting anything get in my way!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: It's not now, nor will it ever be mine. I own the plot.**

**I love the reviews, so keep them coming. And, on that note; I would like to address the subject of constructive criticism. I like to get constructive criticism because it helps me to improve my writing. Like most writers, I am a perfectionist and I take pride in my work. However, I do not appreciate criticism that has no foundation other than to be petty or spiteful. I'm making this point because I was highly offended by a comment that was unfounded. If my grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. need to be fixed, then, by all means, bring it to my attention. Please do not accuse me of being a poor writer if ,you, yourself aren't up to par. I write for my own enjoyment. I have a lot going on in my life right now and I need a means of escape and writing is away for me to try to take a break from the insanity. I'm sorry this note is so long , but I needed to get that off my chest.**

**I still don't have a beta. Please bear with me. All mistakes are mine.**

**Chapter 10**

**APOV**

I was still, somewhat, amazed at everything that has happened. It has only been a few days since my mate's transformation, but it seemed like it had been longer. Her gift was extremely powerful. I had always known it would be, but I never expected that I would be connected to it. Isabella embraced her new life with such vigor and enthusiasm it was contagious.

Even now, she was training, again, something that she seems to have become addicted to. Of all the things about this life for her to get attached to, training was not one that I expected her to like. She insisted on mastering her gift and every aspect of it. For hours I would stand by and watch her work with Alec, Felix, and Renata. She would push herself farther and work harder. She didn't seem to know when to quit and even had difficulty understanding when the others had to take a break to feed. Isabella will never know that need. Her gift insures that she will always have unlimited energy.

I had begun to train with her. Since she and I are connected through her gift and I have access to it, it is important for me to learn how to tap into it. At first, I found it to be quite frustrating. Learning how to utilize her shield was enough to make me want to pull my hair out. No matter how hard I concentrated, I couldn't seem to raise it. I even tried to do as my Isabella does, and think of it as an electric field, but that didn't work. I was really getting angry with myself. Usually, I have no difficulty understanding things. I like to consider myself as having a superior intellect, but this shield was really making me feel moronic. My Isabella saw how frustrated I was getting and suggested something completely off the cuff. She figured that since there was a conduit of sorts running between us, then perhaps I could use that as a siphon and use it to tap into her power. Wouldn't you know it? It worked. My Beloved is a genius. She has such a firm understanding of her gift. It astounds me.

So here I am, being worked over by my Love ,who doesn't seem to like to take a break. It was amazing being able to share her gift. Never had I expected anything like that to happen to me. But if that wasn't enough of a shock, it was what happened shortly after that that really thew us for a loop. We had decided to stop for the day. Isabella was in my arms and we were talking to Alec and Felix about how well the training was going. Felix teasingly referred to Isabella as being a "brute" and she reached over and slapped his hand. Suddenly, she stiffened. She didn't move or speak for a few moments and I had become concerned.

"Isabella, what is it? What's wrong?" I nervously asked her. I grabbed her by her upper arms, trying to get her to look into my eyes.

" I..ah..I'm not sure. When I touched Felix I saw things. Weird things." She shook her head as if she were trying to clear her mind. This sounded all too familiar to me.

"Can you describe to me what you saw", I asked her. I had a feeling I knew what it was, but it almost seemed too fantastic to be real.

"I saw Felix fighting Demetri and losing miserably. I saw him doing unmentionable things with Heidi. Seriously, I did not need to see any of that. I saw him feeding on a human in an alley. There was a lot. Is this what I think it is?" She looked at me, her eyes begging me for the answer.

I nodded me head. "Yes, my Love, it seems as if that conduit is definitely running both ways. You tapped into my gift. Those were Felix's memories you saw. And, I have to agree with you, some of his thoughts would be better left untouched, so to speak. Even I get disturbed by some of the things I have seen."

"This is getting so odd. It's getting to feel like we're some kind of freaky vampire Siamese twins. Although, I really don't mind being connected to you", she teased me. Reaching up, she kissed my cheek."Just remind me not to touch Felix anymore and I'll be fine" she joked.

"Hey, I'm right here" Felix interrupted.

"Relax, Felix. It's nothing you haven't heard from me before." I reminded him.

"Felix, we're just teasing. You know I love you. You're like the big brother I never thought to ask for. Your also easy, so that just means more fun for me" my Love teased him mercilessly. I wrapped my arms around her more tightly. God, did I love this woman!

"Yea, yea. Laugh while you can, but revenge is sweet. I shall have my day" he retorted while laughing maniacally. He turned and walked back into the castle.

"Oh, my Love, you bring me so much joy. I love you." I pulled her arm through mine and we walked back into the castle together, taking our time. We went in search of Caius and Marcus when Gianna came running up to us.

"Master Aro, Mistress Isabella. You are needed in the throne room. There has been word from Demetri."

We ran to the throne room to find my brothers distressed and pacing the floor. Whatever was wrong, it could not be good.

"Brothers, what's the news?You two look like your nerves are on edge" I asked them . Marcus walked over to me and offered his hand. I quickly grabbed it. Discovering for myself what was causing all the turmoil, I gasped in surprise.

''What is it?What's going on?" my Loved asked quietly. "Aro, I can tell by the look in your eyes that whatever it is , it's big".

I pulled her into my arms and gently kissed her forehead."My Love, I don't know how else to tell you this, but, Demetri called to inform us that Jane, Victoria, and Santiago are in Washington." I took and unnecessary breath, trying to prepare myself for what else I have to tell her. "They were in Forks. Several of your friends were killed ." I stopped, giving her a chance to absorb that bit of information. I watched as her stunning blue orbs widened in shock, filling with venom tears that she would never be able to shed.

"Who?Aro, I want to know who" she demanded. She held me in a death grip, almost afraid to let me go.

"Demetri said that a group of your friends had gotten together for a party at Mike Newton's house. He informed us that everyone, except one girl, there was slaughtered. "Marcus spoke up.

"Who's the girl? How did she survive?" my love asked softly.

"It was a girl named Angela Apparently, Demetri arrived just in time." Caius answered. With that bit of news, my loves eyes widened.

"Is she in the hospital? Where is she now?"Isabella asked quickly.

"No, Isabella. She was bitten. She's changing even as we speak. Demetri had to move her to a safe location, so he took her to the Cullen's home in Forks" Caius responded. He stepped forward and gently kissed the top of her head.

Isabella looked around the three of us . "There's more, isn't there?" she asked us. It's next to impossible to get anything past my mate.

I nervously took a deep breath. "My Love, they attacked your father."I pulled her closer to me, hoping to somehow ease her emotional distress.

She began shaking her head as if in denial. "No, no, no. Why?Why Charlie? What did he do? He doesn't deserve this."

I cupped her face in my hands, trying to get her to look at me. " Sweetheart, look at me. I know this is difficult for you .I'm so sorry. You need to know that your father is also changing. Demetri said that when he found him, he still had a faint heart beat. "

"Cara Mia, he knew how much you loved your father. He felt that you had lost so much already. He didn't want you to lose anyone else" Caius explained to her.

"This is getting to be too much. It's insane. Innocent people are losing their lives. And for what? Jealousy and a misplaced desire for revenge. My heart breaks for my friends who died. I just want to end this. Personally. I want to hurt them, a pain for a pain. I want my revenge." Isabella's eye were glowing in her anger. She paced in agitation.

"My Love, you will get your chance. Demetri is en route with your father and Angela. They are on the private jet even as we speak. We need to meet with the Cullens and then figure out what were going to do with the situation", I assured her as best I could. I would not deny my mate her revenge. It was too important to her.

"When are the Cullens due to arrive?" she asked hesitantly. I could tell just by the sound of her voice ,alone, that she was not looking forward to this confrontation.

"They should be here by the end of the day."I kissed her hand, trying to assure her.

"Aro, if you don't mind, I would like some time to think. I'm a little scattered right now. I would like to prepare myself before the Cullens arrival. Lord knows, I don't want to see them again and not be at my best" she told me. I understood her need to be alone. I would give her anything she needed and more.

"Of course, my Love. Take as much time as you need. I still need to speak to Marcus and Caius about a few things. " I cupped her cheek, looking deeply into her blue eyes."I love you. More than anything." I kissed her lips softly and released her. I watched as my love walked out. Judging by the way she carried her body, she was struggling with everything that was happening.

"Brothers, let's take this to my study. I want to run a few things by you and get you opinion on them" I told them.

We quickly made our way there and sat down. There was a great deal of tension in the air and each of us was trying to process everything that had happened in our own way. My concern for Isabella out weighed everything else, including the anger I felt towards those who sought to harm her.

"I Have been thinking the past few days. This situation with Jane and her betrayal, as well as her cronies, has really pissed me off. I do not want anymore instances where others question Isabella being my mate or her position here in Volterra .My first question for the two of you is; how do you feel about me asking her to marry me?"

My brothers started grinning widely. "Aro, I think that that would be the smartest thing you have ever done. I can ,honestly, tell you that I think she's perfect for you and the sooner you get a ring on her the better" Marcus said encouragingly.

"I have to agree with Marcus. She's perfect and she fits in here. It's almost like she's exactly what this place has been needing for a very long time. She's your mate and you have waited a very long time for her. You have every right to want complete happiness. What others think or say is unimportant. But, I will say this; she's perfect for you and perfect for the Volturi."

I loved how everyone just accepted my mate. The way they saw her was similar to how I saw her. She was the missing puzzle piece that we didn't even know we needed. Isabella completed us as a family and a coven. That's why I decided to take yet another step.

"So, what would the two of you say to me proposing to making her queen?" I asked them nervously. Neither of their wives had wanted the job, preferring to allow their husbands to take care of vampire business. I leaned back in my chair, waiting for a response. Both Marcus and Caius smiled at me.

" I think she's perfect for the job. She's very mature and quite composed. Let's not even go into how powerful she is. Isabella has strong leadership qualities, even though it's obvious she's not aware of it" Marcus replied.

Caius shook his head in agreement. "Absolutely. She has all the making of a great leader and everyone loves and respects her. She would bring great balance."

"Caius, did you just quote Star Wars? What the heck happened to you?" I asked him jokingly. Part of me was afraid of the answer and the other part was terrified.

"Don't mock me. It was an appropriate quote for the situation. Just because it happened to have come from that movie has no bearing on the situation" Caius defended himself. Marcus and I laughed regardless. Hearing him quote any movie was a little surprising. It was so unexpected.

"No worries, brother. We know you were only imparting your wisdom on us" Marcus teased him further. I shook my head, enjoying these few moments. There were difficult times ahead and any chance we had to kick back should be embraced.

**BPOV**

Hearing what those backstabbing traitors and that read-headed whore had done nearly sent the venom within my veins to boil .I was livid. In all my years, I had never been this angry. To know that innocent people had been slaughtered over nothing more than petty jealousy, made me sick.

I angrily paced the confines of mine and Aro' room, trying to make some sense of things, but coming up short. There was no sense in it. How could there be? How could my friends being killed make sense? My father and Angela were now changing and knew nothing of what was happening to them. I feared their reaction. Would they resent me? Would they blame me for what has happened to them? Although I know full well that I am not to blame for the actions of others, there is still a small part of me that can't help but feel responsible for some small part. I wish I could have prevented it. Maybe I should have known. Victoria has been after me for so long. She wants to hurt me. Hit me where it counts. Why didn't I see this coming?

But, as much as a part of me blames myself, there is another part that is blaming the Cullens. They are the ones who brought me into their world,which is now my world. It was they who destroyed James and subsequently, abandoned me to fend for myself. Didn't they know that she would want revenge for her mate? Are they not at all aware of how vampires, in general, operate? Is there something in the animal blood that causes their brains to short circuit?

There were so many unknown variables that it made me very uncomfortable. I hated being left in the dark. We needed to get a handle on this before more people lost their lives. It was apparent that Jane was no longer concerned with keeping the secret. She needed to be stopped before things got seriously out of hand. Not to mention, I have my little vendetta to attend to. Fist things fist;the Cullens.

My mental rant was interrupted by a knock at the door. I was so distracted that I hadn't heard anyone approach. I walked over and answered it. Felix's grim face greeted me on the other side.

"Mistress Isabella. Master Aro has asked for you. The Cullens are about to arrive. They will be here in a few moments."

"Oh,joy. Well, let's get this over with." We both walked at a human pace to the throne room, neither of us eager to see the vegetarian clan.

I wasn't yet sure about how to deal with all of them. Edward was a closed a case. He was a selfish and emotionally immature child. I was happy to be done with him. It was the others I was at a loss over. I guess I was about to find out.

Felix and I approached the large double doors and he opened them for me. I walked in and found Aro sitting on his throne next to his brothers. He gestured to me to go over to him. I walked over to him and he grasped my hand and pulled me onto his lap.

"Will you be all right, my Love?" he asked me, concern lacing his voice.

"Yes. I'm fine. Let's just get this done with. Just have Felix standing by. I may have a strong urge to kill Edward. He'll have to hold me back" I teased gently. I looked over at the massive vampire and caught him giving me the thumbs up .I knew Felix would have my back no matter what.

Just then the, Gianna came in announcing the Cullens arrival. They walked in behind her. The second they saw me , they gasped. Well, here comes the fun!

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><p><strong>I'm sorry to leave you hanging... Well, not really. It's necessary for the story. Trust me, the good stuff is coming. Just be patient.<strong>

**I wanted to give you guys the heads up to a great story I have been reading. If you're into Caius/Bella pairings, then you'll love "Seduced by Darkness" by you like witches and vampires, then this is the story for you. Be warned, the Bella in this story doesn't take anyone's crap. It's an awesome take!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I don't own it. The plot is mine.**

**I'm loving the reviews! You have know idea how helpful it is to get feedback, whether it's positive or negative. It gives me a good indication on what the readers are thinking. It also helps to encourage me to keep up with my writing. So, please feel free to let me know what you think.**

**I know I'm a little late getting this chapter out. My mother's health has gotten much worse. I have been running back and forth from the hospital and my house. My head has been spinning. Unfortunately, I really haven't had any time to write. It may be like this for a while. I will try to get something out when I can.**

**No beta, so all mistakes are mine.**

**Chapter 11**

**BPOV**

I sat on Aro's lap with a smug look on my face. Before us stood a very confused Cullen clan. Obviously, none of them expected to see me here, of all places. I could tell by the look in their eyes that they knew they were in some kind of trouble. My presence,alone, was indication enough that something was definitely amiss.

"Well, Carlise, we appreciate you and your family getting here as soon as possible" Aro spoke to him in his authoritative voice.

Carlisle's eye darted between myself and Aro."Of course, Aro. If you don't mind my asking, what was it that you needed? The call I received sounded very urgent."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It didn't take much to turn the once confident Cullen clan into a nervous, shaky mess. Just one glance at the once- upon- a- time human pet of theirs and they were done for. They knew they were in trouble.

"Well, Carlisle, I think it's obvious" Aro responded.

Before Carlise even had a chance to reply, Rosalie, glaring at me, shot forward." Let me guess. little Miss Swan, here, went looking for the first vampire she could find to change her so she could come here and cause trouble for my family? See, I told you she was nothing but trouble. We should have killed her when we had the chance."

Not liking what he had just heard, Cauis ran and grabbed her by her throat. His ferocious growl echoed throughout the throne room."You will not speak of my sister in that manner. You and your family have broken our laws and when you are here, you will show the proper respect. Am I clear?"

Rosalie answered him quietly, agreeing to be respectful. The Cullens were now on edge, knowing that there was nothing they could do to get out of this situation and that Rosalie's behavior had just made it worse.

"Carlise, I'm very disappointed in you. After all that time you spent here with us, did you not learn anything of our laws?That was strictly a rhetorical question. Your actions have told me all I need to know. First, I would like to remind you that these laws are in place to, not only, protect us, but to also protect humans. Can you not imagine the mass pandemonium if news of our existence were to be made public? These laws must be respected. Secondly, Isabella did not"find the first vampire she could" to change her. I learned of this mess from none other than Victoria. You remember her? You killed her mate and left her to try to kill mine. And that would be number three. Isabella is my mate. I do not take kindly to anyone insulting her. Now, Carlisle, do you have anything to say for your family's actions?" Aro stared at Carlise. My mate sure knew how to intimidate someone with just one look.

Carlise looked at Aro. Managing to look every bit as nervous as I knew him to be, he took a step forward. " My son, Edward, and Bella were in a relation ship. After an incident on her birthday, Edward felt that ,as her mate, it would be safer for her if we left so that she could live a normal human life."

Aro was quiet for a moment. He sat still, glaring at Carlisle. Somehow I knew that lousy excuse was not going to cut it with him. I couldn't help the small giggle that past my lips. Aro looked at me questioningly.

"I'm sorry, Aro. I just find it so ironic." I shook my head bemused. " Carlisle is supposed to be the head of the family, but it's Edward who seems to make all the decisions. I wonder, Carlisle, did any of you give consideration to the fact that you gave a vengeful vampire free rein concerning me? After all, it was your family that destroyed her mate, not me. You had an obligation. An obligation that you did not take care of. Did all the deer munching mess with your heads somehow? I just don't see how you can justify what you've done."My little jab at their choice of diet had Caius and Marcus, as well as the guard, laughing." Carlisle, were you not aware of the fact that I wasn't Edward's mate? Even I knew that little piece of information before you and your family left."

I looked at the family standing in front of me. Esme seemed genuinely happy to see me and nervous as well. She was always like mother to me. I just wish she hadn't left the way she did. Alice looked as if she was fighting a desire to run over to me. Jasper was very much on edge and refused to look me in the eye. Emmett, my great big bear of a brother, looked completely heart broken. I wanted to throw my arms around him, but I just couldn't. The betrayal was too much and forgiveness wasn't something that I could easily give. Rosalie stood there staring daggers at me. Seriously, that bitch needed a slap down. And then there was Edward. He stood there , looking at me with a smug look and lust in his eyes. If it were at all possible, I would have thrown up.

"I believe Isabella asked you a question, Carlisle" Marcus spoke up. The anger in his voice was apparent.

"No .I mean, I always thought she was his mate. At least, that's what I was told. Alice said she saw Bella with us and as a vampire. Edward told us she was his mate" he answered.

" Carlisle, what the hell were you thinking? Think about this. Are you physically able to leave your mate for an extended period of time?" Marcus asked him angrily. He shook his head in frustration, not believing what he was hearing.

"No, I can't. It would hurt too much to even think about it, much less to actually do it" he responded ,looking down in shame.

Aro was getting angrier by the second. Gently tapping my leg to indicate his need to stand , I got up . He walked over to Carlisle. He grabbed his hand, and with it, all of Carlisle's memories.

"It seems that Carlisle really did believe that you were Edward's mate." Aro then turned to Edward. Edward having read Aro's mind and saw what he had intended, began to back away. I suddenly felt a ripple in mine and Aro's connection ,and when I looked up, Edward was encased in the clear blue shield. All of the Cullens gasped in surprise.

"Edward, you will stay where you are. The fact that you're trying to get away from me is a clear indication of guilt." Aro strode over to where Edward was being trapped by him." Alec, when I release him, remove all his senses except hearing and speech" Aro ordered. Just then, the bubble disappeared and Edward was frozen in place, unable to move. Aro snatched his hand angrily. After a few moments , Aro's growl began to fill the room. He pulled back his arm and landed a punch on Edwards face, cracking it from his hairline to his jaw. The strength of the blow threw Edward across the room and into the wall.

" Aro, what did you see?" Caius asked frantically.

Aro was quiet a few moments,trying to regain his composure. I have never seen him this angry and I knew that whatever he had seen did not bode well for the Cullens.

"It seems that Isabella is his La tua cantante, his singer. He misled his family into thinking that he was successfully fighting the call of her blood and that he loved her. He actually planned on taking her away on a trip at some point and it would be there that he would drain her. He believed her blood was a gift for him for all the years he hadn't "slipped." Aro walked back over to his throne and sat down again, pulling me on his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, holding me close.

"Edward, how could you? After everything I have taught you. Why?" Carlisle asked him, anger tinting his voice. Esme began to sob quietly and he pulled her to him.

"Carlisle, I'm afraid the betrayal of your family goes a little bit deeper than that. Your little seer over there knew the entire time. She knew what he had planned and never did anything to stop it. She may not have directly helped him with his plans, but by not informing you, she has betrayed you and the coven as well" Aro quickly added.

Carlisle's eyes widened further. His quiet anger I expected, but it was Jasper's ire I didn't expect.

Jasper turned to her in a rage. " Alice, you knew. You saw what he planned on doing to Bella and you said nothing. You who claimed to be her best friend. What the hell is wrong with you? I should have known. You kept giving off guilt. Always with the guilt. I couldn't figure it out." Alice refused to answer him which only made him angrier. He grabbed her upper arms, yanking her closer to him." I asked you a question. Now answer me!"he bellowed loudly.

Alice's eyes widened in fear. This was probably the first time her mate has ever spoken to her like that."I..ah..I'm sorry. I did know. I saw it. After he came back from Alaska I had a vision. He read my thoughts and he threatened me. He told me that if I said anything to anyone that he would make sure that I would pay. He said that he would make it look like a nomad had done it and since Carlisle always believes him, he would get away with it." Alice began to sob.

Jasper's eyes darkened in fury. "You son of a bitch!" he launched himself at Edward. Quicker that I ever thought possible, he tore Edwards head of and kicked it to the other side of the room.

"Jasper, try to calm down, son" Carlisle told him.

" Calm down? That asshole threatened my mate and wanted to kill Bella. He doesn't deserve to live. He is right about one thing. You always believe everything his lying ass says." Jasper held Alice to him, trying to calm her down.

" Felix, remove Edward and take him to the dungeon. Make sure that someone stands guard the entire time" Caius ordered. Turning back to the Cullens, he addressed them. "There are serious consequences for what you and your family have done.. Edward will be punished for betraying his coven, but your entire family will be held accountable for exposing our world to a human and not handling the situation with Victoria" Caius spoke up.

Marcus and Aro nodded in agreement." Your actions have brought on a series of events that should never have come to pass" Marcus informed them solemnly.

"What do you mean. Bella's a vampire now. So, someone else took care of that problem for us" Rosalie foolishly said.

Aro hissed at her."Carlisle, you need to control you coven better."Aro leaned forward and gently kissed my cheek. Sensing my increased agitation, he began to gently rub my back." You all need to understand that Victoria has been after Isabella for a year. The shape-shifters were protecting her. In fact, they did such a good job that Victoria got so frustrated that she came here looking for help . When I saw her memories, I saw Isabella and I immediately felt the mating pull. It was also then that I saw that Victoria was building a newborn army."

The Cullens , except for Jasper, all gasped. He just stood there, with his arms around Alice, waiting for the rest of what Aro needed to say.

"I took a few of my guard members and went to Washington. The guard went to Seattle to deal with the newborns, and I went to Forks to get my mate. "

"Were the newborn eliminated?" Jasper asked.

"Yes, but some clean up work had to be done. As successful as the mission was, we still ended up running into trouble" Aro replied.

I looked at my mate and he looked really uncomfortable with having to talk about this part of the story. Thankfully, Caius didn't seem to have such qualms.

"In case you haven't noticed, Carlisle, Jane is no longer with us. She has betrayed the Volturi, for no other reason than for the fact that she was jealous of Isabella being mated to Aro."

Yet, another round of gasps came from the group.

"And, if her betrayal wasn't enough, she, as well as Satiago, have teamed up with Victoria. We had Demetri tailing them. They went to Forks, where they slaughtered a house full of party goers. All but one girl, a friend of Isabella's, died" Marcus informed them. Their shock was plastered all over their faces.

"Unfortunately, that's not all. They also attacked Isabella's father. Demetri found him near death. He had a faint heart beat. He made the decision to change him .So, as of right now, Demetri is en route, in the private jet, with two people who are well into their transformation" Aro explained to them.

" Which one of Bella's girl friends?" Esme asked quietly. This was the first time she had spoken up.

" It was Angela" I told her quietly.

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry. We were wrong. We never should have left you . We should have taken care of Victoria. We let you down. I always thought of you as one of my own,but then I left you and I didn't even say good-bye. What kind of mother does that?"Esme cried.

I just sat there, on Aro's lap, unable to respond. At this point in time, I really didn't have any desire to forgive them for what they had done.

"This situation is precarious at best. Since this mess is your creation, you will help fix it" Aro looked at each of them .

" Of course. This is all our fault. I never should have listened to Edward. I have relied to heavily on his mind reading. I just stopped listening to my gut feeling. " Carlisle looked at me. "Bella, I'm sorry. I take full responsibility. You didn't deserve to be treated this way. I know we don't deserve you forgiveness, but I want you to know that we are truly sorry."

"Listen, I hear the apologies and to be honest, I'm really not looking for a bunch of words. They are hollow and empty to me. I loved all of you like you were my second family. But, when you left without even saying good-bye, you told me that you don't care about me the way I cared about you. That's fine. It is what it is. I moved on with my life. The one thing I have to be thankful for is that this entire debacle allowed me to finally be with my real mate. So, I'm torn. Part of me wants to hate you for leaving and the other part is happy you did."I leaned back against Aro.

" Listen, Carlisle, Isabella is going to need her space. I don't want anyone pressuring her. If she decides to forgive your family, then let her make the first move" Aro cautioned him. Carlisle nodded his agreement.

"Heidi, please get some rooms ready for the Cullens,. Put them in the guard's wing" Caius ordered her." We still have more to discuss. I think that Marcus, Aro, Carlisle, and I should take our conversation to the study."

At that point, the huge doors were thrown open and Felix came rushing in. "Master Aro, the jet has just landed."

"All right. Felix, go meet Demetri. He's going to need help. Take Afton with you" Aro instructed him. We stood up, getting ready to greet our new guests. My nerves were jumbled . Aro kept his arm around me."Well,it looks like we're about to get our hands full."

As if my nerves weren't on edge enough, what I heard next finished them off.

" Where the hell am I?" My father yelled at the top of his lungs.

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><p><strong>Here I go again. I'm leaving you hanging. I just can't put it all out there, can I? <strong>

**I'm sorry it has taken me forever to get this chapter out. I'm afraid that the way things are, I won't be able to update as much as I like. Plz just bear with me. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It's not mine, but it is fun to play with.**

**Wow! I can't tell you how great it is to get all the awesome reviews. A lot of you have even given me some pretty good ideas. If at anytime I decide to use some of your suggestions, I will not hesitate to give credit where it is do. So, keep reading and keep dropping me a line. I need the kick in the butt. It helps me to keep on going.**

**I am sorry that you have had to wait so long for this update. My mother's health took turn for the worse. All my spare time has been spent trying to take care of her,not to mention my own family. I'm not sure how much longer the chaos will continue, so all I can ask is that you try to bear with me.**

**As always, I still do not have a beta, so all mistakes are mine.**

**Chapter 12**

**APOV**

If having to deal with Carlise and his family wasn't bad enough, hearing my Love's father shouting outside in the foyer really put the icing on the cake, as humans would say. Isabella turned to me, slightly panicked, and ran out the door to go greet him. Wanting to be there to support her, I turned to my brothers," Marcus, Caius, finish this, please. It looks like we have one newborn already to deal with."

The sight that greeted me in the foyer was not at all what I expected to see. Instead of a crazed, bloodthirsty newborn, Isabella's father was completely calm and composed, if not ,a bit angry at not knowing his location. It seems that my Isabella inherited her unusual newborn stage from her father.

Isabella approached his cautiously, " Dad, it's okay. You're in Volterra, Italy."

"Bells,what are you doing here? What the hell is going on? The last thing I remember is a little blond girl walking into the house. She was so strong. She threw me across the room like I didn't weigh an ounce" he informed her.

"Mr. Swan, my name is Aro. I am Isabella's boyfriend. I can help answer all of you questions. Why don't we take this discussion to a more private location? You and Isabella can have an opportunity to catch up" I gestured to him to follow us. I signaled for Afton to follow , just in case.

We entered my office and I motioned for Charlie to take a seat. Isabella chose to sit next to her father, not wanting to upset him any further.

"All right. Now that we're here, can I please get some answers? Bells, is this where you've been?" he asked her.

"Yea, Dad. I've been here since I left. I'm sorry I couldn't say good-bye in person. Circumstances at the time wouldn't allow me to do so" she answered quietly.

"What the hell do you mean by 'circumstances'?" he asked her angrily." Why the hell do you have blue eyes and you look different? What is going on?"

I decided to take over the conversation."Mr. Swan, there's really no easy way to say this, so I'll just be blunt. We are vampires" I informed him. I watched him closely for his reaction. He just stared at me." You were attacked at home, were you not?"

"Yes, but how did you know that?" he asked me.

"The individual who attacked you was once a member of my guard. Another member, Demetri, found you. You were barely alive when he bit you. He didn't want Isabella to lose anyone else, so he made the decision to change you" I waited for the news to sink in before I continued.

"The transformation usually takes three days, but much like your daughter, it has only taken you a day and a half. "

"So, I was changed due to the fact that I was mortally wounded?" he asked. I nodded yes. "Then, why is my daughter a vampire? Was she attacked as well?"

"No, Isabella wasn't attacked. Vampires mate for life. Meaning, that there is only one person out there, a soul mate, if you will, for a vampire. The mating pull is very powerful and impossible to ignore. Isabella is my mate. I changed her and we will spend eternity together. I am very much in love with your daughter" I explained to him.

He eyed me for a moment before tuning to my mate, "Isabella, are you happy here? Do you love Aro?" he asked her.

"I love him more than anything, Dad. I'm very happy here" she assured him.

"The only thing I care about is my daughter's happiness. By the looks of it, you make her happy. Besides, no one has ever gotten away with calling her by her full name, not even me. The fact that she let's you, speaks volumes to me. Plus, I'm sure glad she didn't end up with the pansy ass, jack weed she was dating before. He seemed more interested in controlling her than treating her with respect" Charlie huffed. Having his approval meat a great deal to me.

" Well, I definitely agree with you. He is a pansy, as you put it" I replied.

"You're a good man, Aro. We'll get along just fine" he informed me with a grin."With that being said, you can call me Charlie."

" Thank you, Charlie. I appreciate it. Now, there's a great deal more we need to tell you , but I think it would be prudent to feed you. You must be thirsty, right?" I asked him, concerned that he hadn't fed yet.

"I don't know. What am I supposed to feel? I, honestly, feel fine" he told me.

"Normally a newborn would be going mad with blood lust. Since you don't seem to be a typical newborn, it might register a bit differently for you. Tell me, does your throat hurt at all?" I inquired.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say it hurt, but it does fell a little odd. It's more like the feeling you get when you have a cold. It's not painful, though" he told me.

"All right. I would feel better if you fed. Come with me. I can have Afton take you out for your first hunt. My question for you would be: do you want to drink human blood or animal blood?" I asked him.

" With all do respect, Aro, I could never kill an innocent person. I was the Chief of Police back in Forks. Justice is ingrained in me" he explained.

"Just so you know, we do not kill innocent humans here, regardless of what the rumors say. We only hunt criminals. We also own a blood bank and have a storage facility, so there is always a supply. I just want you to know what your options are." I could see Charlie's eye light up when I told him about hunting criminals. I have a pretty good guess on what he's going to choose.

He turned to Isabella."Bells, what do you do?" he asked her.

"Actually, Dad, I don't need blood. It has to do with my gift. It's another long story, which we will explain later. You really should hunt now" she encouraged him.

" Come,. Let's head back to the throne room. Charlie, did you decide?"

"To be honest, the though of getting criminals off the street is extremely appealing. I think I'll try that. Bells, would you mind?" he asked her nervously.

My Love smiled at her father lovingly. "No, of course not. In fact, I think that would be perfect for you."

I walked around my desk and offered Isabella my hand. She eagerly took it and stood up. I placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Let's get you fed, Charlie."

We made our way back to the throne room. The closer we got, the more we could hear a lot of fighting. I didn't know what was going on, but I was sure going to get to the bottom of it.

I threw open the massive double doors and was greeted by the sight of Felix and Edward Cullen in a full blown fight. From the looks of it, the Cullen brat was getting his ass handed to him. I looked over to my brothers and they were just sitting there, smirking at the sight before them.

Just as I turned to deal with my brothers and their odd sense of free entertainment, I heard a loud growl come from behind me. I turned to see Charlie. His eyes were pitch black with anger. He just caught sight of Edward and it looks like he wanted to cause some serious harm. Before I could even stop him, Charlie flashed over to Edwards side, startling the Cullen boy with his sudden appearance. Charlie's lips curved up into an evil smile. He grabbed Edward and the next thing I knew, he landed a punch directly to his abdomen, knocking him across the room. Edward immediately got up. Apparently, Charlie wanted wasn't happy with that. Charlie raised his hand, which began to glow, and just as Edward attempted to charged him, and bolt of electricity shot out of his hand, hitting Edward square in the chest. The force of it threw him across the room and into the wall, turning the wall to rubble.

Shocked gasps rang throughout the room at what we had all just witnessed. I turned to look at Carlise and was surprised to see him just standing there. He seemed to not care about what just happened to his son.

"Felix, take Edward and lock him up in the dungeon. And, just to make sure he doesn't try anything, remove his legs and secure them. I want a guard on him at all times" I ordered.

"Yes, Master." Felix went over and grabbed him, dragging him out of the room .

"Afton,I want you and Alec to take Mr. Swan out to hunt. Do it now. After what we just witnessed, it wouldn't surprise me if he was extremely thirsty" I told him.

"Well, we now know well Isabella gets it from" Caius said , trying to cut the tension. I rolled my eyes at him.

Isabella and I walked over to Marcus and Caius. "Could you two explain to us exactly what happened in here?" I asked them.

"After you left, Edward decided that he wasn't going to stay here. He thinks that since Jane is no longer with us that we don't have the power to keep him here" Marcus explained. I shook my head at this bit of news. The Cullen boy had the largest ego I have come across in a few millenia, with nothing to back it up.

" Felix took it upon himself to teach him a lesson" Caius said laughingly. "It was so funny. That Cullen kid can't fight. It's like watching a teen age girl fight. It was all about pulling hair. If I wasn't already dead, I would have died laughing" My mate started to laugh at that.

"Sorry ,Aro, but it was just too funny to stop. I haven't laughed that hard in years. If you ask me, he needed to be taken down a few pegs"Marcus explained to me.

"All right. I can't find fault with you. It was kind of funny and I didn't even get to see that much" I agreed with them. I turned to Heidi. " Heidi, please take the remaining Cullens to their quarters" I told her. Heidi gestured for them to follow her. They left them room, allowing us to talk more in depth.

" Isabella, how are you handling everything? I've been a little concerned about you" Marcus asked her.

"I'm doing fine. The Cullens being here isn't really bothering me as much as I thought it would and my father being changed isn't upsetting me, now, either."I sat down on my throne and pulled her down with me. She leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

"Everything happens for a reason; even if we don't know what that reason is right away." Caius said. " I must say, Isabella, I'm quite impressed with your father. It's obvious where an aspect of your gift came from."

"There's something about the Swans, brothers. Not only was his transformation quick, but he's not a crazy newborn either"I informed them.

" Well, I think it has to do with the fact that this was our destiny. We were meant for this life. It certainly explains a lot about me, at least " Isabella thought out loud. Her reasoning was sound. She was my mate, so she was definitely meant for this life. Perhaps the same can be said for Charlie. I would be interested in finding out who his mate will be.

"That reminds me, where is Demetri? In all this chaos, it didn't dawn on me that he wasn't here" I asked.

"Demetri is attending his mate" Marcus explained. My Love sat up excitedly.

"Wait! Are you saying what I think you're saying" she asked

"Marcus smiled indulgently at her."Yes, sweetheart, I am. Angela is his mate."

"Yes! I'm so happy for them both. Angela was my best friend in school. She is the sweetest person and I just adore Demtri. I think they will be so perfect for each other" she exclaimed.

"Well, she's half way through the change. She's doing well. Don't plan on using Demetri for anything. He refuses to leave her side"Caius informed me.

" That's fine. I don't blame him. You couldn't tear me away from my mate when she was changing," I hugged my Love closer to me.

We chatted for a few more minutes when the double doors swung open again and in walked Alec. He carried with him a large parcel. Walking swiftly towards us, I could tell that this wan't good. The aroma coming from the parcel was horrendous.

"Master, this just arrived for Miss. Swan" he told us. He placed it on the floor before us. Isabella looked at me, shaking her head. None of us knew what that was. I had a very bad feeling .

" Thank you, Alec." I said to him absentmindedly. No one knew where Isabella was, except those who are out there seeking to harm her. Now I knew this wasn't good.

" Marcus, hold Isabella for me" I ordered him. I walked to the suspicious package. Bending down, I grabbed hold of the flaps and ripped it open. Laying inside was the decapitated head of a woman. A note was also inside. It was in a handwriting a did not recognize.

_Dearest Isabella,_

_Because of you, I no longer have a mate. Now, you no longer have a mother._

_I will break you down until there is nothing left of you and you come to me begging me_

_to end you. This is only the beginning. You will lose everyone and everything you love._

_Victoria _

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is short, but I felt that it needed to stop here. Things are starting to move forward at a more rapid pace.** **Here comes the crazy train!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:I don't own it. I just love to play around.**

**I am blown away at having over two hundred reviews! I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me. It's mind blowing. I can't thank everyone enough for you reviews, favoring my story, and ,even, favoring me. I am honored.**

**I did receive one review from someone requesting that I slow down my story because it is going way too fast. First of all; it is my intention for this story to move rather quickly. I don't want it to go at a snails pace. I have no interest in slowing the story down. I never intended to write 500 chapters and that's what would happen if I slowed the pace. Secondly, I have no plans on a sequel. The flow of Unexpected Love is exactly where I want it to be. If you're looking for a slower pace, then head on over to my other story, Sunrise. It's and Edward/Bella story. **

**I also want to address my many mistakes. I am aware of them. No matter how many times I edit my chapters, I always seem to find mistakes after I publish them. It is frustrating. I do not have a beta and I am aware that I need one. Just bear with me.**

**Please remember that there is going to be mature content. Several reviewers were shocked at the end of chapter 12. This story has an "M" rating for a reason. There will be mature subject matters and some violence. **

**Please be warned: There will be Edward bashing. Just keep an open mind. It is an alternate universe.**

**I thought I'd throw in a little shocker by adding a few other POV's. I know some of you were wondering about the Cullens. Well, here you go. **

**Chapter 13**

**CPOV(Carlisle)**

To say that recent events have shocked me would be nothing more than an understatement. When I received a call from Volterra stating that me and my family were ordered to appear before the brothers, I knew something big was going on. I had no idea it was anything like this. Nothing could have prepared me for the information that Aro was able to pull out of Edwards thoughts. And, the fact that Alice knew of my eldest son's treachery, and never said anything, was just more than I could handle.

Now, as I angrily paced the room that would be our prison for however long Aro decides, my thoughts were scattered. My eldest companion, the one who I was closest to, deceived me. His elaborate ruse to take Bella and kill her just so he could have her blood, sickened me. Bella has become like a daughter to both Esme and I. One that we loved deeply. When we left, it broke us up as a family. I watched as my wife became a shell of her former self, mourning the daughter that we had foolishly left behind. No longer did my mate bury herself in her decorating projects or draw up plans for one of our many homes. She became nothing more than a shadow of who she once was. And ,all of it was my fault. I chose to listen to Edward. I allowed myself to be fooled by his lies. I put too much trust in his mind reading abilities and it has cost us greatly.

But, knowing that Alice was aware of his intent the entire time, is gut wrenching to me. I can't fathom what she was thinking. Why wouldn't she come to me or to her own mate? I understand the fear she must have felt when her so-called-brother threatened her, but Jasper would never allow anyone to harm her. Surely, she must know that. And, quite frankly, Edward is no where near as good a fighter as Jasper is. Then, for Alice to claim that Bella was her best friend the entire time, is nothing short of shocking. I just have no idea what to think.

The frustration I felt tore through me. I was angry. Angry at Edward for his betrayal and angry at Alice for letting us down, letting Bella down. All of the lies and well planned acts of deception sickened me." Damn it" I yelled. Angrily , I grabbed hold of the nearest thing to me and threw it across the room. The antique cabinet shattered into pieces upon making contact with the wall I had thrown it into.

I was the leader of this coven and I had failed. I had let everyone down. And my human daughter was hurt so deeply by my actions. How do I make things right with her? Can I make them right?

I felt my loving mate's hand on my arm. "Carlisle. Darling,we will figure out a way to make this right. Please. Don't blame yourself."

I wrapped my arms around Esme's waist and pulled her closer to me. "Sweetheart, how can I not? I am the leader. I always listened to Edward. I assumed he told the truth. Always following his suggestions and never going with my gut feelings and look where it has gotten us."

"Carlisle, we all make mistakes. We can be thankful that Edward didn't get away with what he planned. For some strange reason, some things worked out. There is a reason for everything. Even when we don't know what the reason is, we need to have faith that things will work out" Esme told me , She reached up and kissed me gently, nuzzling into my neck.

" I know, Esme, and I am happy he was caught. I'm also very happy to see that Bella is Aro's mate. I can't think of anyone else who I would want her with. I just wish things had gone differently. And, I wish Alice had spoken up about Edwards plans and his threats. Not saying anything tied everyone's hands" I exclaimed.

I walked over to the leather sofa and sat down , pulling Esme down with me. I clung to her hand as if she was my life line, and in a way she was. Esme always had a way of keeping me centered and without her, I was nothing.

"Carlisle, what about Alice? Edward is in the dungeon. Do you think Aro is going to punish her? Will he do the same with her?"

I took an unnecessary deep breath. "I'm not sure. I know he's livid. You have to keep in mind that Bella is his mate and her protection is paramount to him. Any threat to her is going to set him off. Edward's punishment will be the most severe, but I'm not sure what Alice's will be. The fact that she knew the whole time and never spoke up, is going to be something that he won't be able to overlook. I will say this, Aro is always fair in his judgments."

"There's just so much going on at once. Edward and Alice, to whatever happened with Jane, and now, Charlie being changed. I'm almost afraid to find out what happens next" she confided in me quietly.

I leaned back, holding Esme close to my chest. "I know. Part of me feels exactly the same way. Right now, all we can do is wait" I told her, kissing the top of her head.

We sat there for quite some time, trying to give each other some comfort. We knew we had only just seen the beginning of what was to come.

**JPOV(Jasper)**

I was hurt. I felt completely betrayed by my mate. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why Alice never came to me. Hearing from Aro that she knew and didn't do anything to stop Edward and all because that worthless punk threatened her, had me so livid. Didn't she know that I would do whatever was necessary to protect her? She is my life. No one will eve threaten her and get away with it. Does she not know me at all?

I can feel how worried she is, but that's not enough. Damage has been done. Alice needs to learn that her actions, or in this case, her inactions, have consequences. Bella could have died a very painful death and I'm not all too sure if Alice grasps that.

I gazed at Alice from my spot from across the room. I was so angry that I didn't dare get any closer to her. For her part, she knew it was for the best to not get too close to me right now. It has been a very long time since I have felt this much anger. Not since the days when I worked for that bitch, Maria, have I felt like this.

"Do you have any concept of what you have done? " I asked her angrily.

Alice timidly shook her head yes, refusing to meet my eyes. Her emotions were all over the place. She was feeling fear, anger, confusion, so many other emotions, it was insane.

"Why? The second you knew, you should have come to either me or Carlisle. You had an obligation to speak up and you didn't. I don't want to hear a damn thing about that pansy ass shit head threatening you. You know full well that I would never let anyone hurt you. And, if that wasn't enough, the entire time that you knew he planned on killing Bella, you go around claiming that she is your best friend. What the hell is wrong with you?" I screamed at her.

Alice flinched as I yelled at her ,but I really couldn't find it in myself to care at this point. She had gone way too far this time.

"I'm sorry" she squeaked. I don't know what the hell is wrong with this woman, but apparently, she has forgotten that I'm an empath.

"No, you're not. You forget, Alice. I can feel you. You're sorry you were caught. And, I know you sorry that you now have to face whatever punishment Aro has for you. But, you're not sorry for betraying Bella, our family, and me. Sometimes I wonder if I should be a little more concerned over the sense of loyalty you, obviously, have towards Edward. I mean, he threatened to kill you, but for some reason, you're not sorry. Maybe you're with the wrong man, Alice. Maybe you should be with him. Then the two of you could scheme to your hearts content" I said while walking over to the window to look out .

"No, Jazzy, no no no. I love you Only you. I am sorry. I didn't think I was betraying you. He threatened me and I was so afraid. I just acted out of fear. I know I was wrong" she sobbed to me.

As much as I wanted to yank her into my arms and comfort her, I knew that I couldn't. Alice needed to see the harm she helped cause. I couldn't back down now.

" I love you Alice, more than my own existence. That is why I feel it is necessary for you to understand how deeply you have hurt others, not just me. You let our entire family down and in the process, put Bella's life in jeopardy. How many years did I hear you complain to me about never having had a best friend, not even when you were human?And, in walks Bella. She completely trusted you. She trusted all of us and accepted us just as we were. She never looked at us as monsters. We were her family, plain and simple. I felt her emotions Alice. She loved you so much. I just can't reconcile in my mind how any threats he made would ever cause you to to be so afraid for your life that you willingly offer up your best friend's life on a silver platter in exchange."I paced absenmidedly, trying to figure out my wife's actions."The only conclusion that I can come to is that you never really cared for her. And, if my guess is correct, then you're in a great deal more trouble that what we first thought"I accused her. Alice nervously fidgeted with her blouse, refusing to make eye contact."Answer me, Alice"I barked at her.

"Well, I thought she was going to be my best friend. She was supposed to go shopping with me and let me replace her God-awful wardrobe, and stuff. Instead, she never wanted to any of those things. I always had to fight with her" she said with a pout.

I can't believe what the hell I just heard."Please explain to me what the hell is wrong with you? You, obviously, have no clue what it means to be a best friend. It's not all about you. Not once did you ask Bella what she wanted. All you tried to do was shove you wishes and desires down her throat. You were in the wrong" I yelled. I had just about enough of Alice's childish antics."Because Bella stood up to you, you went along with Edwards plans on killing her. What happened to you? Where is the kind, loving woman that I met and fell in love with all those years ago. Because, what I'm looking at certainly isn't her." I was pissed and I need to vent my anger. I had to get away from her.

"Jazzy,I'm sorry I upset you. Everything is fine. I mean, it all worked out anyway. Bella is a vampire, so Edward can't hurt her now. Why are we even talking about this?" she asked me.

I turned to look at her. My shock must have been permanently marked all over my face. Did I just hear her correctly? Does she not see what she has done?

"You're really messed up. I can't believe you just said that to me. After everything you and Edward have done to both Bella and our family, you simply don't think you did anything wrong. Quite frankly, you make me sick. I can't even stand being in the same room with you. I will be seeing about making arrangements to have my own room" I informed her cooly.

Alice began wailing like an insolent child who isn't getting their way. How typical. "No, Jazzy. I don't want you to. I'm your mate. You're not supposed to leave me" she said while angrily stomping her foot.

"I'm not sure of that, now. I'll be seeking out Marcus. Again, Alice, you keep forgetting that I'm an empath. You might want to remember that before you make any attempt at lying to me."

With that, I yanked open the door and was greeted by one of the guards. I told him I wished to see Carlise and he pointed to a door across the hall and a few doors down. I walked over and knocked. Esme answered.

"Jasper, sweetheart, are you all right?" she gestured for me to enter.

"Carlisle. Esme, I really need to talk to you. Did you hear any of my converation with Alice?" I asked them. They both shook their heads.

"No, son, we didn't. I was having some difficulty dealing with our current situation and your mother was trying to help me. May I ask, what's wrong?" Carlisle inquired.

I strode over to the couch and sat down. I was still quite angry and in shock over what had transpired with Alice." Alice isn't sorry for the part she played in Edwards attempts to kill Bella. In fact, Alice was so upset that Bella stood up to her when she tried to force Bella to do all those crazy things that she deliberately let Edward get away with what he was doing" I informed them. Esme covered her mouth in shock. Carlisle's eyes widened in surprise.

"Jasper, I don't know what to say. This entire situation seems to be so insane. I'm getting to the point where I'm just waiting for the next shoe to drop"Carlisle confided in me.

"I just don't understand what has happened to our family. It seems so unlike the Alice we know to do something like this" Esme mused.

"That's part of the problem. What if this is what Alice really is like. What if everything else was an act? Honestly, I'm beginning to doubt that she's my mate. Everything feels off with her" I told them. I leaned back and closed my eyes, wishing that for once, I could sleep.

"Well, son, Marcus can answer that for you. If you're having doubts, it would be best to address those doubts as soon as possible. You don't want to have those hanging over your head. In the meantime, what do you plan to do in regards to her?" he asked me.

"I've decided to ask for separate quarters. I can't even stand to look at her. Seriously, in her head, she thinks Bella deserves to die because she didn't want to go shopping. Is that messed up or what?"I asked them.

Carlisle was about to answer, when, suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Esme got up to answer it. As if on cue, in walked Marcus, followed by Caius.

"Carlisle, we came to let you know that Aro and Bella are indisposed of at the moment. They are dealing with some problems and we aren't sure when they will be back. The sentencing will be postponed until their return" Marcus informed us.

"We understand,Marcus. Thank you. Marcus, my son Jasper has some information in regards to his wife Alice and her participation in Edward's plans."

Caius stepped forward. "What is this news?"It's obvious to my he is known as the intimidating brother.

"I was dealing with her earlier. She admitted to not only knowing about Edward's plan, but she deliberately didn't tell anyone for her own petty reasons" I informed them.

Both of their eyes blackened immediately due to their anger. "Unbelievable! I'm afraid to ask what her reason for doing this were." Marcus stated angrily.

"It appears that Alice was upset with Bella because Bella stood up to her and wouldn't allow Alice to force her to go shopping all the time and other foolish nonsense"I enlightened them.

"She needs to be kept in check. Felix" Caius called out to the massive guard member. A few moments later, Felix entered the room."Felix, go grab Alice Cullen and take her down to the dungeon. Put her in a separate cell from Edward. Make sure you double the guards watching them. They can not be trusted" Caius ordered.

Marcus turned to me with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry,Jasper. This needs to be done" he explained.

"I understand. I'm not having any trouble with it. In fact, I had wanted to ask you if Alice was my mate. My feeling for her are completely off. And, she's acting really strange" I explained to him.

"Well, I can tell you that Alice is not your mate. I hope this doesn't upset you too much. If it does, then the only thing I can tell you that might help to cheer you up is the fact that your mate is here in Volterra" Marcus informed me with a grin.

I stood there gaping at him in shock. The woman I had been married to for over fifty years had not only lied to me about us being mates, but my actual mate is somewhere in Volterra. Now, all I had to do was try to think of all the unmated females that were here. I have a lot of thinking to do.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: It's not my pool. I'm just swimming in it.**

**I'm just loving you people. I have received the most amazing reviews! I hope everyone understands what the reviews mean to the authors of the stories you are reviewing. It's very encouraging to know that our hard work is being appreciated. Thank you so much for taking your time to review, favoring my story, or clicking that favorite author button. Seriously, I'm loving it.**

**Again, I would like to apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out to you. I am still dealing with my mother's health crisis and, my family had to deal with yet, another, emergency. The chaos never seems to end. I will do my best to update as often as I can. I will not abandon my stories. **

**Chapter 13**

**BPOV**

I was in shock. There really was no other words for my current state. The moment Aro tore open that package and revealed my estranged mother's head, I felt my entire body freeze up. I couldn't move. Not a sound was I able to utter. I vaguely heard my mate give some orders and then he grabbed me up in his arms and ran off with me.

We were off in some unknown room in the castle and I was still unable to react. My body refused to cooperate with my mind. I tried to speak, to call out to Aro, but nothing happened.

Pain. Anger. Fear. Hurt. I was feeling all of these emotions. They threatened to drown me in their depths. I thought I had dealt with my mother abandoning me. I thought that when she turned her back on me that I had accepted it with ease. Now I know how wrong I was. All I can think of is how I will no longer have a chance to reconcile my relationship with her. That bitch took away any chance I had of that ever happening.

As I thought of Victoria and how she had robbed me of my mother, my anger grew. How dare that psycho hurt the people I love. My mother was innocent and knew nothing of vampires. She didn't deserve what was done to her. As I continued to dwell on Victoria, I began to shake violently. I no longer felt in control. I needed to lash out, to vent my anger. And with that, my electric shield exploded outward, taking out everything in it's path.

**APOV**

I took my Love to an unoccupied part of the castle for some privacy. Her eyes were glowing again and from what we have seen the past few times it has happened, it usually occurs when she's livid.

I stood by helplessly, watching her suffer. I would give anything to take this hurt away from my Love. I felt completely helpless, but, at the same time, I knew it was necessary for her to deal with this emotional pain.

Isabella seemed completely unaware of my presence. She was in turmoil. I felt that now would be a good time to bring in some reinforcements. Thankfully, both Caius and Marcus were on the same page as me. They had gone ahead and grabbed their mates and brought them here to speak to Isabella. It would seem that at this point, Isabella would need another woman to talk to. Hopefully, my sister and Athenadora would be of assistance.

I walked over to the door to greet them. I didn't think it would be a good idea for Isabella to be startled.

"Oh, thank God. I'm at a complete loss. I don't know what to do. She's completely out of it. I'm not even sure if she's even aware of anything at this point." I explained to them, nervously straightening my jacket.

My sister, Didyme, walked over to me . She hugged me quickly and placed a kiss on my cheek." It's all right, big brother. Athena and I will do whatever we can to help her. Sometimes, a woman needs another woman."

No sooner had those words left her mouth, when something that sounded like a large explosion came from inside the room. We all darted inside . I nearly staggered at the sight that was before us. The entire wall on the opposite side of the room was gone, leaving nothing more than a massive gaping whole. And, standing in front of it all, was my mate.

I rushed over to her and took her in my arms. I anxiously looked her over for any injuries, while trying to comfort her at the same time. The fear I felt was evident in my stance.

"Isabella, my Love, are you all right?" I asked her, desperate to get a response.

"I'm sorry, Aro, I don't know how that happened. I just lost control of my shield. I..I didn't know I could do that" she said apologetically. She buried her head in my chest ,trying to hide in shame.

"Sweetheart, don't worry about that right now. You are more important." I kissed the top of her head in an attempt to try to assure her." My Love, Marcuse, Caius, and I thought it would be a good idea if you had a woman to talk to . They brought their mates for you to speak with ." I gestured for my sister and Athenadora to come forward.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Isabella. I can not tell you how much it means to me to finally meet the woman who has completed my brother. " Didyme stepped up and gave Isabella a quick hug.

Athenadora came forward, as well. " Hello, Isabella. I'm Caius' mate, Athenadora, but you can just call me Thena or Dora. I am so happy to meet you."

" Oh, wow, I'm so sorry you had to see my outburst. I'm happy to meet the both of you" Isabella smiled ruefully.

"Please think nothing of it. We completely understand. Why don't you come with us and we can go chat and get to know each other. The men can find something to occupy themselves with" My sister said with a grin. She grabbed a hold of Isabella's hand and both she and Dora walked with my Love towards the door."Don't mind us boys. We've got everything in hand. It's high time we ladies got together, so, unless it's an emergency, no interruptions" my sister ordered.

I stood and watched as my Love was guided out of the room. I knew she was in good hands and I could only hope that the three of them would get along. If I were to be honest, I was a little nervous as to what my sister's opinion of my mate would be. I just hope that she ends up loving my Isabella as much as I do

I slowly turned from my spot to see Marcus and Caius inspecting the destruction Isabella's shield had caused. The shock I felt from what her shield was able to do,still coursed through me. Just knowing how much emotional distress she had been in in order for her shield to lash out in such a way, broke my dead heart.

"Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. It would appear that there are aspects to Isabella's shield that we weren't aware of" Caius simply stated.

"She has been training a great deal. Out of the entire guard, and pretty much everyone here, she's the only one that likes to train. I find it a little odd that this side of her shield never manifested before now. I wonder why that is." Marcus speculated more to himself than to us.

"Her eyes were glowing,glowing a great deal brighter than they ever had before. I'm not sure, but I think that this particular aspect of her shield is directly connected to her emotions" I told them.

"It's the trauma of seeing her mother's head. She has been through so much in such a short span of time. She was bound to explode. In a way, I'm glad it happened. It's so much better than for her to bottle everything up inside. Your mate is very strong. She will get through this. I almost pity those idiots that have pissed her off. They have no idea who they are messing with" Caius said.

I couldn't hold back my laugh. Isabella was a goddess when she was angry. I knew for certain that as soon as she was ready, there would be hell to pay.

"Caius is right, Aro. She needed this. Besides, the room needed to be renovated"Marcus joked.

"Very funny. Although, I'm sure that Heidi won't have any problems with decorating, yet, another room in the castle" I replied

"Just don't tell Felix, whatever you do. He was so angry the last time she redecorated their room without giving him a warning." Marcus reminded me.

"He'll get over it. At least it won't be his things that are getting messed with. Besides, a massive whole in the wall is not what I would refer to as being inconspicuous" I told them.

"It should be done as soon as possible. I vote Marcus should tell her. I can't stand that heinous screeching she does when she knows she gets to spend money. Plus, Marcus tends to have a calming influence" Caius replied quickly.

"Wow. Thanks for selling me out. I'll do it. If only for the fact that I'm not afraid of her like you two are" Marcus said jokingly.

The sound of a throat being cleared interrupted our playful banter. We turned to see Renata at the door. He eyes were wide as she took in the condition of the room. She shook her head and turned to me. "Master, Demetri asked me to inform you that his mate is now awake."

"Thank you, Renata . Inform him that we will be there shortly. See to it that she is fed" I ordered. Renata turned and left quickly.

"Well, brothers, looks like we need to see to another newborn. Let's just hope this one is as easy to deal with as Isabella and Charlie are" Caius said.

**CPOV **( Charlie)

I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Everything seems almost too surreal that part of me can't believe what is right in front of my eyes.

When that short blonde girl threw me across my living room back in Forks, I just knew there was much more going on with my only child than she had let on. Come one. How small blonde girls go around throwing grown men. I really don't need to be a genius to know that something was up.

Sure I was in pain. I couldn't move and if I were to be honest, I didn't think that I would ever see Bella again. Then, just when I didn't think I could possible be in anymore pain, It got worse. Suddenly, I felt like I was on fire

It wasn't the kind of fire where I just burned my finger trying to light a match. As I think about it, that kind of burn was child's play. No, this pain was unlike anything I could have ever thought of. It encompassed my entire body. Every inch felt as if I was engulfed in flames. I couldn't hold back the screams that tore their way out of my throat. I was in agony.

I had no clue how long I layed there suffering. I was vaguely aware of movement, but I was unable to see anything or to even speak. Just when I didn't think I could stand the pain any longer, It began to dissipate. I left my arms and legs and moved to center itself near my heart. My heart , itself, began to beat rapidly. Then, a few beats later, and it all stopped.

I opened my eyes and everything was different. Literally. I had no clue where the heck I was. Sure, my eyesight was obviously better and I sure and hell felt great, but who the heck was that guy looking at me and where was I?

The next thing I know I'm in a freaking castle of all places and I find out that my daughter has been here the whole time. And, if that wasn't enough, I'm now a vampire.

So, here I am on my first hunt and I've got to say I love it. There's nothing more gratifying than getting those low-life criminals off the streets. Both Alec and Afton informed me that hunting was instinctual and all I needed to do was just go with it. They were right. Hunting was easy and quite enjoyable. I bagged me a rapist. I have to say that this beats fishing hands down.

" Charlie, are you full or do you think you need more?" Afton asked me.

"No, I'm good. I feel stuffed. Thanks for the help, guys" I replied.

"I think we should head back. There's a lot going on right now and we shouldn't be gone for too long" Alec told us.

We ran back to the castle. The obvious chaos that greeted immediately set me on edge.

Alec lead us to the throne room where Aro and two other men were talking.

Aro looked up when we got closer and came over to me. " Well, Charlie, how did you do on your first hunt?"

"Good, Aro. Actually, I rather enjoyed it" I told him.

"I'm glad to hear it. Charlie, I would like you to meet my brothers. This is Marcus and Caius. "Aro introduced us.

The dark haired man, Marcus, stepped forward to shake my hand.

"Charlie, it is a pleasure to meet you. "

I returned his handshake. "Thank you."

"Indeed. It's definitely a pleasure to meet our Isabella's father" Caius said, shaking my hand.

" It's nice to see my daughter so happy. Judging by the way you three speak of her, you must be very close" I said.

"You're right. Charlie, my gift is the ability to see the bonds between people. For example, I can tell if two people are mates or siblings. Both Caius and myself have a very strong brotherly bond to her. We love her very much" Marcus explained.

I put my hand up in confusion."Wait. What do you mean by gift" I asked him."Bella had mentioned something about a gift before."

"Charlie, some vampires are born in to this life with certain gifts. Both you and Isabella have gifts. Do you not remember what you did to Edward?" Aro asked me.

"Yea. That's a little difficult to forget. The little shit deserved it , too" I responded.

"Well, that was your gift. We have a friend who has a gift that allows him to detect gifts in other vampire. I think we need to get him to come back here. He can tell us the complete nature of yours. Don't worry, Charlie. You will learn how to control it" Aro assured me.

" Good. I'd like to figure it out as soon as possible" I informed him.

I looked around the room trying to find my daughter, but I didn't see her anywhere."Aro, where's Bella?" I asked him.

The three brothers looked at each other. "Isabella is with my sister and Caius' mate. She needed to talk to a woman for a change" Aro told me.

Something didn't seem right and it felt like they were keeping something from me."Aro, what happened?"

"I'm sorry, Charlie. It's obvious where Isabella gets her intuition" Aro replied wryly.

"Charlie, a lot has happened that you need to know. I guess we should start with the Cullens" Marcus siad.

I sneered at hearing that name."What do the Cullens have to do with anything?"

"They are vampires, Charlie. Edward and Alice lied to both Isabella and their family and told her that she was Edwards mate. She was only Edward's singer. A singer is someone whose blood calls to a vampire. Edward only wanted her blood" Aro explained.

I couldn't help the growl that was growing in my chest. That worthless s.o.b. was only targeting my daughter.

"Go on" I said angrily.

"None of the other Cullens knew. They were deceived. There was an accident at her eighteenth birthday party and that was when Edward decided to dump her in the forest behind your house. The rest of them left because they thought she was his mate and only he had the right to decide what to do with her" Aro continued.

"The problem , Charlie, is that during their so called courtship, Isabella's life was threatened by a nomad vampire and the Cullens killed him. However, they left his mate alone. She now wants revenge and she wants to kill Isabella" Caius continued.

"So what happens now? That little bastard is here, right?" I asked them. All I wanted to do was rip Edward Cullen apart.

"Yes, here's here,and so are the rest of his family. They have to stand trial for what they have done. You need to understand. We really only have one ;aw. That law is to keep the secret. The humans can not find out about us. Any vampire that exposes us to a human is often punished and the human either is turned or killed " Aro told me.

"That makes sense and I'm glad they won't get away with putting my daughter in harms way. But, what about the female who is after Bella? Where is she?" I asked them, needing to know that my daughter was safe.

"She's on the run. She has joined up with two of our former guard members who have decided to betray us" Marcus piped in.

"Wait just a minute. Are you telling me that not one but three freaks are after my daughter?" I asked them, fearful of the answer.

"Yes. They want to make her suffer, especially Victoria. She will not rest until Isabella has payed for the death of her mate" Caius told me.

"That's not her fault. If anything, the Cullens need to take care of that mess. Let her have Edward. He's the one that lied in the first place. Right?" I asked them.

"Unfortunately, it's not that easy. There has been a recent development. It is the reason why Isabella isn't with us right now. Charlie, I don't know how else to tell you this, but Victoria sent Isabella a package. In it contained the severed head of her mother" Aro told me gently.

What, no!Not Renee. It can't be. Not like this. I know she cut our daughter out of her life, but I never would wish something this horrific to happen to her. Oh my God! Bella. What the hell has she gotten into?

"No one and I mean no one messes with my daughter and gets away with it. Teach me how to use my gift. I need to learn to control it. If that bitch is looking for a fight, well, then, she just got one." I looked at them. Never in my life had I been more serious than I was at that moment.

All three brothers nodded in agreement. I was about to say something else when the large doors opened. I turned to see the most beautiful woman I had ever seen enter the throne room. Something inside me snapped. All I knew at that moment was that she was mine!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: It's not mine. I really hate saying that! I'm just borrowing the characters.**

**I love the reviews and I really appreciate all the compliments. It's really nice to see my story being enjoyed.**

**I know that this update is late. I'm sorry about that. Unfortunately, my mother's health is still poor and I have been doing all that I can to help her. Also, I have been dealing with some other family matters, as well. My spare time has been eaten up and I haven't had enough left to invest in my writing. I'm not sure how long this is going to last. All I can say is that I will update when I can. Please just bear with me and thank you for your patience.**

**I still don't have a beta. I tried to get one. I have asked several people and nothing panned out. I'm just going to continue this story without one. I will do my best editing it, but if there are any mistakes, they are my own.**

**Chapter 15**

**BPOV**

As happy as I was to finally meet Aro's sister and Caius' mate, I was unable to shake myself out of the shock I was in. I allowed Didyme and Dora to lead me away. They took me to their private tower, so that we would be able to get to know one another without interruptions. If I wasn't so out of it, I would have raved over how beautifully decorated the tower was. It was something you would have imagined from a fairy tale.

We sat ourselves down on a cushioned settee. I looked at the ladies before me. I couldn't help but noticed how Didyme looked so much like Aro, I was curious about whether or not they were twins.

"Please, forgive me for staring, but you are the spitting image of Aro. Are you two twins, by any chance?" I asked her, only slightly embarrassed by my obvious gaping.

Smiling gently at me, Didyme nodded "Yes, we are. "

I returned her smile. I liked her already. There was something very soothing about her nature that seemed to draw you in and make you feel comfortable. Just being in her presence for a few minutes, I was already beginning to feel a bit more relaxed.

"Isabella, I can't tell you how happy we are to finally meet you. My Caius has spoken very highly of you. He absolutely adores you, you know?" Dora told me happily.

I turned and smiled at the platinum blonde goddess. It seemed fitting that Caius would be mated to a woman of such extreme beauty. But, not only was she stunning, she exuded such kindness and gentleness. I could tell that I was going to get along just fine with these two ladies.

" Thank you, Dora. I am very happy to meet both of you. I'm sorry it was under these circumstances. I feel that I must apologize for my behavior before. I really don't know what happened. I just felt out of control " I told them.

They both waived off my apology, as if my earlier behavior was really nothing at all to worry about.

" Isabella, Marcus and Caius came to get us. They told us what happened and they both felt that you would need a women to speak to. Believe me, we understand. You have had a very difficult week. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't have responded in a similar fashion ", Didyme said, consoling me. She came over to me and gave me a gentle hug.

" Really,Isabella, Didyme is correct. Please, don't give it a second thought. Now, let's get to the gossiping ", Dora said excitedly. She was practically bouncing up and down in her seat. I couldn't hold in the giggle as I watched her.

" Gossip? I should have know. Okay. What is it that you ladies want to know? ", I asked them . I was getting a little suspicious.

They looked at one another , grinned , and turned to me. At the same time they both shouted , " Tell us about Aro! ".

I watched the two of them. It was like watching teenage girls at a sleepover. They kept giggling and shoving each other. It was funny.

" Exactly what do you want to know? You two have known him longer than I have. " I was a little confused by their question. What could I possible tell them about him that they didn't already know?

" Oh, we know that, silly. It's just that my brother has been alone for a very long time. I have always worried about him. I hated seeing him by himself. I just wanted him happy and madly in love. " Didyme looked out the window for a moment, seeming to gather her thoughts. When she turned back to me, I could see the tears in her eyes that she would never be able to shed. " Isabella, I wish I could properly explain it to you. He and I have always been close. Perhaps it's because we are twins. After all, we are so much alike. I think that is the reason why I have wanted him to find his mate so badly. I wanted him to know the kind of joy that I have found. I hated seeing him alone. Oh, he never complained, never said a word, but I knew. It bothered him so much. So, in order to not think about it, he buried himself in his responsibilities. " Dora placed a loving hand on Didyme's arm, trying to calm her down.

" Isabella, Aro is very respected, but also very loved. Outside these wall, he is believed to be ruthless. I am sure you have heard the rumors, or at least, some of them. I can assure you, none of them are true. Aro is very fair and just, but he is also loving. He knows of the rumors and has allowed them to continue. He feels that they may actually be helpful. Unfortunately, they didn't deter the hussies who have tried to get themselves into Aro's good favor and in his bed ,only for the sole purpose of becoming his queen. The stories we could tell you! " Dora confided in me. Hearing about the women who tried to seduce my mate, sickened me.

" That is why we are so incredibly excited that he has found you. My Marcus tells me that the lines between you and Aro are stronger than any he has ever seen before. He also tells me that you can't seem to keep your eyes off of him,and he's just as bad ", Didyme teased.

If I could still blush, I would be beet red right now. " I love him, more than I ever thought I was capable of. I thought I was in love once, but that was nothing compared to what I feel for Aro. He completes me" I explained to them.

Didyme threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. Her joy shone brightly in her crimson eyes. I loved the fact that she was truly concerned for her brother and wanted nothing more than his complete happiness.

" Oh, Isabella. You are so perfect for him. Welcome to the family " Didyme to me cheerfully. She gave me another brief hug before releasing me.

" I must say, Dear, that you have made quite the impression on everyone here. It seems to me that you have almost everyone here eating out of your hand. I had asked Caius if you have some kind of power of persuasion , but he insists that it's just your shining personality. He thinks you are such a loving person that everyone wants to be around you ", Dora informed me. I was slightly stunned by this admission.

" Thank you for the compliment, but to be honest, when I was human, I was a bit shy. It wasn't until a few years ago that I outgrew my shyness ", I admitted to them . " In all seriousness, though, I wish I had the power of persuasion. If I did, I would have persuaded Jane to waltz herself in a bonfire and save us all the trouble of having to deal with her ", I huffed petulantly. Dora laughed while Didyme rolled her eyes.

" Don't even get me started on that worthless backstabber. After everything my brother has done for her, she has the audacity to betray him. And, for what I ask you! All because she wasn't his mate. That little piece of garbage needs to get over herself ", Didyme ranted angrily." I never liked the way she would look at him when she thought no one was watching. It was inappropriate and disgusting. I can't tell you how many times I caught her undressing him with her eyes. That whorish shrimp did it right in front of me! She has no respect for anyone."

I felt my eyes bug out of my head from just hearing what Didyme had said. Just trying to picture Jane undressing my mate with her eyes was nothing short of disturbing. Normally, I wouldn't be bothered by another woman finding Aro attractive. He is, after all, incredibly sexy. There is just something really disgusting about Jane and her obsession that really grosses me out. Perhaps it had something to due with the fact that Jane looked like an immortal pre-teen, and not a very attractive one at that. I really needed to not think about that. It's just way too nasty for words. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the mental picture.

" Well, thank you so much for that very unpleasant picture, Didyme. I have never been more thankful for not needing to feed than I am right at this moment. If I had to drink blood after having the image of Jane trying to put the moves on my mate, I know for sure I would not

have been able to keep it down ", I finished with a shudder.

Dora placed her hand on my arm. "I know I speak for both myself and Didyme when I say that you are so fortunate that all you have is a mental picture. We have, actually, seen it. Poor Didyme has to live with it for eternity ", Dora told me.

I raised my hand, desperately trying to stop them. "Ladies, can we ,please, just change the subject. I think it's safe to say that I don't want anyone making the moves on my mate."

" Oh, of course, Isabella. I'm so sorry. I forget, sometimes, what it's like when you are fist mated. Those incredibly strong urges and the need to claim what is yours when you feel like someone is trying to take what belongs to you ", Dora stated excitedly.

Not wanting the discussion to turn into a sex talk , I turned to Didyme. "I was wondering. Why am I meeting you two now? Is there a particular reason why it has taken this long? ", I asked them.

" Well, Sweety, according to Marcus, there has been so much going on with the traitor and her co-horts, they didn't feel it was safe ", Didyme explained .

" Wait, what do you mean by safe? This place is like a fortress. Grant it, there was a few security issues, but I'm sure that's not the normal occurrence ", I asked her, slightly confused.

" What she means,Isabella, is that our mates tend to be a bit over protective. If there is any sense of threat, we get locked away in our ivory tower where we are forced to wait things out until it is safe ", Dora further explained.

" Okay, I understand the need to protect your mate. I feel that way about Aro. I just don't understand the whole 'locking you away' part. How is that even productive? Aren't you two trained fighters. Do either of you have gifts? ", I asked them.

They looked at each other , looked back at me, and then shook their heads no. Well, now I was really curious.

" So, what is the 'no' for? No ,you can't fight or, no, you don't have any gift's? ", I asked them.

" Isabella, it's a very long story. I can give you the shortened version. Roughly, a thousand years ago, the Romanians made an attempt to overthrow the Volturi. There was a war. They came up with the idea of weakening two of the Volturi kings by taking their mates. They had spies in place who were instructed to take both myself and Dora and eliminate us " , Didyme explained, in a serious voice. " What I don't think you understand, is that if a mate dies, it will render the remaining mate relatively useless. The one who lives will either seek revenge or death. Usually, it is the latter that occurs. The pain from separation is too difficult a thing to live with. Death is always a welcome respite."

"So what happened? Their plan, obviously, failed. ", I asked them.

"It was close. Too close, if you ask me. The spy had found us. There was about five of them We were cornered. We were both positive that would would never see our mates again. However, it seems that someone forgot what Aro's gift is. The moment he touched their hand, He knew their entire plan. Aro grabbed some of the guard and came to rescue us. He got to us in time. Honestly, I have never seen him that angry. If there is one thing I now, it's you don't threaten the ones Aro loves", Dora explained .

" You know, Aro has always been a hero to me. I have always looked up to him, even though he's only just a few minutes older than me. But, my brother saved my life. I can't tell you what that means to me. So, in a way, I have become very protective of him. I feel like I own him for everything he has done for me ", Didyme said.

" Wow! I have no clue how to respond to any of that. I guess all I can say is that I am so relieved that Aro was able to rescue the two of you. I, also, think that you, Didyme, shouldn't feel any kind of obligation . You're his sister. He loves you and would do just about anything for you. Now, with that having been said, I'm afraid that I do not agree with the decision of hiding the two of you way for your protection. That is a seriously misguided notion on their part. I truly believe that the two of you need to be trained to fight. You need to learn how to defend yourselves in case anything ever happens in the future. I will speak to Aro about It " I finished. I was dead set on getting these women some training.

" Isabella, I don't have a gift and Didyme's gift isn't one that can be considered a defensive or offensive gift. What good would it be for us to train? ", Dora asked me.

" Are you kidding me? Have you forgotten about Felix? He doesn't have a quantifiable gift, either. He's pretty much all strength. Don't the two of you want to feel safe? What if you're attacked again, but this time Aro isn't there to save you? If you don't know how to defend yourselves, you're chances of survival are slim to none. I know you can do it. You just have to be willing to give it a chance ", I tried to convince them.

" Well, to be quite honest with you, what you say makes a great deal of sense. Of course, I'm not sure how our mates are going to feel about us training. They have a tendency to take their protectiveness a little too far where we are concerned. If you think you can get them to agree, then I'll do it. I despise feeling useless. ", Didyme started to become visibly excited over the prospect of training.

" I suppose, if Didyme is willing to do it, then I can as well ", Dora added.

" Wonderful. I will be with you every step of the way. I love to train. Aro has been training with me, lately. It will be fun ." I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat. I was , not only, excited about getting these two to train, but , I was also excited with the possibility of getting close to them. It will be nice to have a few female friends, again.

We continued talking about various things. Everything from gossip about the castle's inhabitants, to all the dirt they could give me on Jane. Overall, I enjoyed the time I spent with them. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case around here, we were interrupted by a knock at the door. Dora rose from her seat to answer it, slightly annoyed at our unwelcome intruder. When she opened the door, Felix entered.

" Please forgive the intrusion, my Lady, but, Lord Aro has requested Miss Isabella's presence in the throne room. There has been an interesting development and he believes she needs to be present ", he spoke nervously. I laughed at his obvious discomfort. He was either nervous about interrupting us or he was nervous about being in a room full of women. Either way, I was going to tease him about this.

" I guess I better see what happened this time. I swear, it seems like every time I leave the room, something else goes wrong." I turned to Dora and Didyme. " Thank you for your time. You actually helped to get my mind off of things. I promise I will speak to Aro about what we discussed. I hope I get to spend more time with you."

Didyme stood up to give me a hug. " I am so happy you are his mate. You are perfect for him. Believe me, you will be seeing a great deal more of us."

Dora threw her arms around the both of us. " We'll make plans. Don't you worry. You better go. Aro gets antsy."

I waved farewell to them and followed Felix out the door. My curiosity got the better of me and I started to bombard him with questions.

" So, what happened? What's going on? " , I asked him.

" I think it would be best if Master Aro tells you. No offense, but I don't want you to beat the crap out of me just because you don't like what you hear " , he replied.

" I take umbrage to that statement. I'm not the type to just loose my temper and physically assault the nearest person. I would also like to point out that all the times I beat you were during training sessions, and you need to quit whining about it." I laughed at the shocked expression on his face.

" I am not whining! I'm only stating a fact . Can we just get a move on? " Felix stomped on ahead, throwing what looked like a little temper tantrum.

When we entered the throne room, I immediately made my way over to Aro. He took me in his arms and kissed me gently.

" My Love, how are you feeling?"

" I'm a little concerned. What happened now?" , I asked him.

" Isabella, it's not anything to panic over. It's just a new situation has come to light. One that involves your father ", Marcus explained calmly.

" Is he all right? Is he back from his hunt, yet?" I didn't see him anywhere around.

" He's fine, my Love. In fact, I would say he's much more than fine." When Aro said that, everyone in the throne room began to snicker. I looked around, thinking that they may very well have lost their minds.

" What have I missed? You are all acting strange ", I asked. I was starting to lose my patience.

" My Love. His hunt went fine. Alec said he did quite well. He didn't have any trouble. He's a natural going after the criminal element. It was when he returned that things got interesting. It turns out that your father is mated to Gianna. When he saw her, that was it. He took her, and claimed her. I had few members of the guard take him and Gianna to our outpost in Siena. It's only twenty minutes from here, if you run. He was feeling very protective of her and didn't want anyone around her. Being a newborn himself, I think that can be expected. He's just going on instinct right now."

I looked at Aro for a moment. I had no idea what to say. It seemed that fate decided to step in and give my father someone to love. Of that, I was happy. It's just that everything seemed so insane. When I think about everything that has happened in the past week alone, one thought popped into my head. And, it was that thought that got me to laugh.

" Isabella, are you all right? ", Caius asked me.

" Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I just realized that this place is crawling with newborns. It's just too funny. I guess it's a good thing that I didn't turn out to be a typical newborn, or you'd really have your hands full ", I joked.

" I have no complaints. I love you the way you are." Aro leaned forward to kiss me. Unfortunately, as is the case in this place, we were interrupted, by the sound of large doors being thrown open. We turned to see who it was, and immediately, Aro put me behind him, attempting to protect me. Both Marcus and Caius stepped forward to stand next to him.

" Well, well, well, Maria. To what do we owe the dishonor of this visit? Have you broken anymore laws you would like to inform us about? ", Aro asked her, anger lacing his voice.

Maria. I have heard that name before. I couldn't quite place where. I looked at her. She was of Spanish decent. She had been in some kind of a fight, judging by the looks of it. Her clothes were torn and she had bite marks that were still leaking venom.

" Aro, I have not come to cause you trouble. I came to warn you. Two women and man came. One attacked me. I have never felt pain like that in my life. She told me to either join them or burn. I asked them why. They claim they had a vendetta with the Volturi. I told them that it was suicide and I refused. They took out my second in command. I almost didn't make it out alive. They have the newborns, Aro. All of them "

" How many, Maria? How many newborns? ", Aro asked her.

"One hundred and twenty five ", Maria responded.

**A/N:I know it has been forever since I have updated. I am sorry for that. I have had my hands full taking care of my mom and trying to take care of some personal matters. Plz bear with me. This story is not going to be abandoned. **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: It's not mine. I'm just borrowing the characters.**

**Thanks, again, for all the reviews. I really appreciate all of the kinds words, as well as, the well wishes for my mom. I would also like to thank everyone for their patience. I know I have been unable to update often, due to all the family matters I have been having to deal with. As soon as things start to slow down for me, I will be able to update more frequently. Until then, please just bear with me.**

**I still do not have a beta. All mistakes are mine.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Watermellonsmellinfellon. Her help was instrumental in getting this chapter out!**

**Chapter 16**

**APOV**

One hundred and twenty five newborns!I can't believe it. Maria's newborns were taken by Jane, Victoria and Santiago. The betrayal runs deeper than I could have ever imagined.

I look over at my Isabella. Her inner strength was something that I marvel at. Through all of this chaos, she has remained strong. I kissed her softly, letting her feel my love and support.

Turning to my brothers, I looked at them to see the anger in the crimson eyes. " We need to deal with this, immediately."

Caius turned to me."Agreed. I suggest we call in all the covens and nomads to Volterra. This is a threat to all of us and must be dealt with accordingly."

" Caius is correct. We need to send word. Make it an order. We are a running out of time. I also think we need to consult with the Major. After all, this is his area of expertise."

"Wait! Jasper is here?" Maria asked with nervousness lacing her voice.

"Yes. He is. If I were you, I would would make myself disappear. You are not one of his favorite people," Aro informed her.

"I can't. I'm not the type to run and hide when things get difficult. Besides, you need my help. I know those newborns. I know what gifts they posses and how much training they have had," Maria informed them.

"Very well" Aro motioned to Afton, who stepped forward. " Afton, please bring Major Whitlock to us. Do not tell him what we need to speak to him about. Just tell him that the matter is urgent."

It only took a few moment for Afton to return with the Major. The moment Jasper laid eyes on Maria, he let out a fierce growl, while his eyes turned a deep onyx. I knew that he would be displeased at seeing her. However, our current situation makes it necessary for us to have to deal with her.

"Major, I apologize for this unwelcome reunion. I fear that circumstances have made it necessary. We have a situation on our hands and we require both your expertise as well as Maria's knowledge," Aro addressed him.

Jasper's eyes widened just a fraction. " If you need my expertise then I have a good idea what you need it for. With Maria here, I can only surmise that you have a newborn problem on your hands. Am I correct, Master Aro?" Jasper asked in a business like tone.

I nodded my head. " You are correct. I'm sure you are more than aware that both Jane and our other guard, Santiago, are no longer with us. The reason for that is the fact that they have betrayed the Volturi. If that were not enough, they have joined forces with Victoria. I believe you have made her acquaintance."

Jasper's eyes darted over to Isabella quickly before returning to me. " Are you referring to the redheaded nut case who was mated to James?" he asked.

"That would be the one," I informed him.

He shook his head in frustration." I knew it. I knew she was going to cause a problem. I warned them. You never kill one mate without taking out the other. Edward told Carlisle that she didn't pose a threat. In fact, he said that Jame's thoughts indicated that they were never really mates. I knew he was lying. I tried to warn Carlisle. As always, I was outvoted."

Marcus chose that moment to speak up. " As dire as all that is, there is still more. Victoria wants Isabella to pay for James' death, but,now, Jane wants her to pay for being mated to Aro."

Jasper held his hand up. "Whoa. Wait a minute. Jane is jealous of Bella being mated to Master Aro? Is she not aware that Bella had no control over that? Fate decided that. We have no control over who were are mated to. I hate to ask, but has Jane been trying to get her hooks in Master Aro for a long time?"

"Unfortunately, yes. She has always been sly about it, but anyone with two eyes could tell she wanted him," Caius answered him. He looked over at me with a smirk. "Sorry, brother, but it's true."

My only response was the shiver that coursed through my body. I really didn't feel comfortable talking about that.

"All right. That explains those two, but what is the deal with Santiago? Why did he betray you?"Jasper asked.

I wrapped my arms tighter around my Love, pulling her more securely to me. "It is in his thoughts. He is obsessed with her. He wants her for himself. He desires her." I was sickened by the knowledge that his thoughts toward Isabella were so perverse, so sick.

"This is unbelievable. It's almost too fantastic to be real. How does he even think that working with the other two is going to pan out for him? They want Bella dead and he wants her for his own purpose. None of that even makes sense. Now, what do the newborns have to do with this?" Jasper inquired sternly.

I looked over at Maria, giving her the signal to answer the question.

"A few nights ago, they came to my compound and attacked us. They took out my second. They told me to either join them or die. They spoke of their vendetta against the Volturi. I told them it was suicide. I came here as fast as I could. Jasper, they have the entire newborn army," Maria informed him.

By this time, Jasper's eyes darkened to a pitch black. " They are planning to invade and decimate everyone here. You need to call in every coven and nomad. It is imperative, especially now, to get as many gifted vampires here that you can. Everyone must begin training. Dealing with newborns requires special training. I can't stress that enough."

" We had already decided to call everyone in. We want to put you in charge of the training. You have the most experience. Even more so than our guard," Caius responded quickly.

"That's fine with me, however, I ask that my brother, Peter, and his mate, Char, assist me as well. They know as much as I do about newborns ," Jasper insisted.

My brothers and I looked at each other. We were very much aware of the three of them and their history in the newborn wars down in the South. They were more than capable, and we knew the Major was someone you didn't want to cross. The three of us felt comfortable with having them in charge.

" Very well, Major. Make whatever arrangements you need to. We will send out word to everyone and get them here as soon as possible," I told him

" Master Aro, I want to make sure that you understand. Everyone must train. There can be no weak links," Jasper replied.

I looked over at both Marcus and Caius. I knew that they would have a problem with that particular specification Both of them kept their mates hidden away from what they thought of as " the potential for there to be harm done". Immediately, they began to protest.

I was about to say something, when Isabella gently placed her hand on my arm. "Allow me," she said softly. She turned to my brothers and addressed them. "Marcus, Caius, as you know I spent the better part of a day with your mates and I had a very interesting discussion with them. They told me about the Romanians and about Aro saving them. As much as I can understand your fear of losing them, for I would feel just as much fear if I had lost Aro, I can not understand why you would hide them away without the ability to defend themselves. I am sure that neither of you want a repeat performance. You only want what is in their best interest. You must see that allowing them the benefit of training so that if they are ever in the position where it is necessary for them to fight, they will be able to protect themselves. After all, it is their protection that you are seeking. Is it not? " Isabella asked them

"It's a difficult thing to do. In my mind I know that it's important. I just can't run the risk of losing her," Marcus whispered.

Isabella walked over to him and hugged him. "I know it is, but you have to realize that it's an even greater risk to not train her."

" She's right brother. We have to let them train. They need to do this for themselves," Caius said.

Marcus sighed." All right. They will train."

I took Isabella back into my arms."Thank you," I whispered in her ear.

She looked at me with her gorgeous blue eyes and smiled.

" Well since that is settled, Jasper you may begin training as soon as you would like to. I will leave those details up to you." I addressed him.

"Good. We start immediately.," Jasper responded.

"Most of our guard is here. I will have to call back the guard that I had take Charlie and Gianna to Sienna. I hope he is more like himself. Having a newly mated newborn is a bit difficult, to say the least," I said.

Jasper smirked a bit, but to his credit, he didn't comment." That won't be a problem. I have been in that situation before. I just want it to be clear that I want everyone who is here to make sure they feed first. They will need their strength. They have two hours to get it done. Do you have an area that we can train in that will accommodate everyone?"

I nodded."Yes. The main training yard."

"Good. We will adjourn there. When my brother and sister arrive.."

Jasper was interrupted by the sound of the large doors being thrown open and two vampires gliding into the room. By the looks of it, Jasper's brother and his mate had already arrived.

"Hello there,brother. Long time. No see. Did you miss me?" Peter asked Jasper. He walked over to him, giving him manly hug.

"Hey, Fucker. How the hell did you know that you needed to come?" Jasper asked him. "Oh, and to answer your question, no. I didn't."

"Come on, Jazz. You know how my thinker works. I just knew. Like I just knew that the deranged dwarf was lying to you all these years . By the way, you are really going to love your mate. Just do everyone a favor and try to keep it behind closed doors," Peter joked.

"Captain, shut it.," Jasper ordered him.

Peter's mate, Char, stepped forward and smacked Peter in the back of his head, drawing out a laugh from all of us. "What did I tell you Peter Whitlock?" she asked him with her hands on her hips.

Peter looked down sheepishly and answered her."You told me to not mention Satan's pixie and to not tease him about his mate."

Char just rolled her eyes at him. She threw her arms around Jasper and gave him a quick kiss on the cheeks. " We've missed you, Jazz."

"I missed you too. I should introduce the two of you to Master Aro and his mate, Isabella, Master Marcus and Master Caius," he gestured to us.

"Ooh Bella. You have such beautiful eyes," Char raved.

"Thank you. It's very nice to meet both of you," my Love responded softly.

Char continued to look around and it was then that she noticed Maria. Char hissed at her . Jasper stepped forward to explain Maria's presence.

"Stand down, Lieutenant. Believe it or not, we need her. I don't like it anymore than you do, but we have to put up with her, " Jasper explained.

"Jasper's right, Char. We need her. She has knowledge that can help us. As a matter of fact, Miss Isabella, here, is going to be very instrumental as well. Both she and Master Aro will be quite the force to be reckoned with. Don't ask me how I know. I just do," Peter told us.

" Are you positive?" Caius asked him.

"Absolutely. Just don't ask me how I know because I can't tell you," Peter replied.

"Is that your gift?" I asked him. If it was it had to be the only one I had ever come across that couldn't be classified.

" I don't consider it a gift," Peter said.

"Don't listen to him. It's a gift. He's precognitive. Unlike Alice, whenever his feelings tell him that something is going to happen, it will happen. His gift isn't dependent on decisions, " Jasper clarified for us.

" So, essentially, Peter is much more accurate than Alice, " Isabella speculated.

" Yes. By far. Just try telling him that," Char piped in.

"Whether he's in denial or not, his gift will be useful. I have a strong feeling that Alice isn't going to be very helpful when the time comes," Marcus said.

Peter shook his head." She won't be. I don't know exactly why, just yet. All I know is that everything concerning the evil pixie isn't good. I'll have to pay attention. I don't trust her or that virgin in the dungeon with her. Something just doesn't feel right to me."

I looked at Peter for a moment, trying to judge the sincerity in his voice. Coming to the conclusion that he was, indeed, serious about the two Cullens, I decided that I would double my guard on them.

"I'll be doubling the guard on them. Although, from what you just told us, I have the feeling that that isn't going to help us very much," I said.

"Sorry, but no," Peter said, confirming my suspicions.

" All right. We know what we need to do. Everyone needs to feed. Afton, I want you and Alec to take care of getting word out to all the covens and the nomads. Also, don't forget to call back the guard as well as Charlie and Gianna, " I ordered.

"One more thing. Someone needs to check on Demetri and Angela. They also need to train. And make sure they feed as well," Marcus said.

" We'll take care of it Master Marcus, " Afton assured us.

" All right, everyone . You have two hours. Then ,we convene in the main training yard.," I said, knowing that everyone in the castle had heard me.

" Brother, we are going to fetch our mates . We will see you shortly," Caius said, while both he and Marcus headed on out the door.

I turned to see that only myself and Isabella were left in the throne room. I bent down to kiss her on her succulent lips. "Mmm. I miss being alone with you."

"I miss it too. It seems like everything it happening at once," she said with just a hint of sadness in her voice.

I cupped her face in my hands and urged her to look at me. I saw the worry in her eyes that she was desperately trying to hide.

"Sweetheart, I will never let any harm come to you. You are my everything," I assured her.

" I'm not worried about myself. I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me. It just doesn't seem right. Plus, I can't stand the very idea of anything happening to you. " The last part she whispered, as if the very task of saying it out loud caused her physical pain.

" Oh, my Love. Don't you know that I feel the same way about you? Sweetheart, we can do this. You have been training constantly and have complete control over you gift. You even have control over my gift . You heard what Peter said. Please. Just have faith in what we are capable of doing together," I said to her.

Isabella threw her arms around my neck." I'm sorry. I do have faith in us and what we can do. I love you so much."

I wrapped her in my arms, holding her tightly to me. " As I love you." I said quietly.

We were going to face our enemy together. As frightening as it was, I had all the faith in our love and in the strength of our mating bond that we would win. Our foes were weak. They were like children throwing fits because they didn't get their way, and that would, eventually, be their downfall. They would never learn how to control themselves. In the end, each of them had their own agenda and each one would betray the other, of that I had no doubt.

Isabella and I were strong, but ,together, we were invincible.

I reluctantly pulled away. " Come, my Love. I must feed. Will you accompany me?" I asked her. I held out my hand to her which she quickly took.

" Of course. I will go anywhere with you," she said with a smile.

**UPOV(unknown)**

"Have you heard the news? One of my spies has informed me that war has been declared against the Volturi. If their information is correct, a newborn army of over one hundred plus a few more seasoned vampires are going to Volterra. It seems to me that we must strike while the iron is hot. Don't you think?"

**Thanks for reading and being patient. Hopefully, my life will slow down. Wish me luck. Remember: reviews=love**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: The plot is mine. The characters are not.**

**Thank you so much for your reviews. I love to know what your thoughts and opinions are. The reviews also help me to keep pushing on, even when I don't feel up to it. **

**I am still dealing with my mother's health, as well as, having to take care of my own family and various matters. Thank you for your patience.**

**I would like to thank my beta, Watermelonsmellinfellon, for all her help!**

**Chapter 17**

**BPOV**

The past few days have been laden down with a flurry of activity. We have been busy welcoming both covens and nomads. When informed of the situation at hand, there was a tremendous outpouring of support. I was encouraged to see that Aro and the Volturi were very well respected..

Jasper, of course, got right down to us working and training. It was one thing to know about his past and the things he was capable of, but seeing him in action was a completely different matter. I now knew why he was referred to as the "God of War". Needless to say, the man was fierce.

Both Caius and Marcus were true to their word. They allowed their mates to train. I can still see the look of shocked surprise on Marcus' face when he watched Didyme train for the first time. Little did anyone know, that Didyme was quite the little warrior. She was fast and able to move in and out without anyone even detecting her. The pride on Marcus' face was well worth getting him to allow the training in the first place.

Dora's training was,also, a pleasant surprise. She turned out to be quite a skilled fighter at hand to hand combat. At first, we had all feared that Caius was going to lose his mind watching his beloved mate go up against Felix. It was a typical training exercise, nothing out of the ordinary. I suppose Felix's intimidating size, compared to Dora's petite frame, did have Caius worried. However, Dora quickly proved that her mate's concerns were misplaced. As Felix made a move to take her down, she pivoted quickly on her heels, launching herself in the air, and landed on his back, with her teeth at his throat. Everyone was stunned, but none more so than Caius and Felix. After a few moments of dismayed silence, Caius asked her how she knew how to do that. It was then that both she and Didyme confessed to having watched the training exercises for several hundred years.

Jasper felt that understanding the gifts that were on hand was also necessary. So, he had everyone who was gifted gather together for a special training exercise. It was nothing short of astounding to see the various gifts that were on hand; everything from atmoskinesis to tactile telepathy. When it came time for Aro and I to show him how we are able to access each others gifts, both he and Carlisle looked like kids in a candy store. Jasper was excited for the fact that, combined, our gifts would prove to be a formidable weapon. Carlisle was excited because nothing like it had ever happened before and he desperately wanted to do research on it.

As exhilarating as all the training was, none of that could compare to the moment when Jasper saw his mate for the very first time. We had all gathered together for our initial training exercise. This would be the very first time that I would meet all the members of the guard. Up to that point, I had not been aware of just how many there were. We had just gathered together in the usual training yard when a very stunning woman came to stand beside Felix. She was petite with long, flowing midnight tresses. The moment Jasper saw her, he halted. They gazed intently at each other for several moments. Then, with a shake to his head, he approached her. Now, I have never witnessed a mating before, but Aro insists that what Jasper did was normal. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. While growling out a very loud, "Mine", he bent down and bit her neck. He, then, picked her up and ran off into the castle with her. When I asked Aro who the lucky girl was, he informed me that her name is Renata and that she is a physical shield.

Aro explained to everyone that since Jasper would be occupied for a while, Peter would be in charge of training until he returned. Needless to say, Peter bossed us around for two days. I guess you could say that there is never a dull moment here at Volterra.

**APOV**

I was quite pleased with how many covens and nomads had shown up, and even more pleased with the training that was going on. Jasper lived up to his reputation and definitely fit the bill when it came to his roll as instructor. Even my guard, who had to train on a regular basis, benefited greatly from his teachings.

To be honest, as much as the thought of my beloved mate having to fight sickens me to the core, I enjoy training with her. It allows us an opportunity to connect on a much deeper level than most mates are capable of. Due to the nature of Isabella's gift, we are able to access each others powers at all times. Just being able to sense the powerful current that runs between us is comforting to me.

I was also astounded to see that both my sister and Dora had taken to fighting as well as they did. It did not surprise me in the least when they confessed to watching the training exercises for the last several hundred years. My sister has always been a bit of a sneak.

We were now taking a break in order to feed. Jasper had been working us hard for two days straight now, since he returned from claiming his mate. It was decided that in order for us to not draw any unwanted attention to ourselves, we would have to go out and hunt in small groups, each group having to take their turn. Isabella, of course, does not require blood, so she would be remaining behind. Since I still don't feel comfortable leaving her unattended, my brothers and I decided to take turns when feeding. That way, at least one of us would be with her at all times.

I wanted to take this time to have a private conversation with Charlie, so I went in search of him. I found him talking with Felix and Alec in the corridor leading to the throne room.

" Charlie! I was wondering if you might join me for a hunt. I have a matter that I wish to discuss with you", I told him.

He nodded his head." Of course. Lead the way", he replied good-naturedly.

We ran for a good twenty minutes. I wanted to make sure we were far enough away from Volterra. When we were both sufficiently fed, I gestured for him to follow me to a nearby forest where we could speak in private.

"You know, Aro, I can tell that you have something you would like to ask me." Charlie just stood there, leaning against a tree, wearing a very smug look on his face. I just shook my head. It was obvious where Isabella got her insight from. "Don't looked so surprised, Aro. I was the Chief of Police for Forks for over twenty years. In that time I have learned to read people."

"You're correct. I do need to ask you something. Since you appear to prefer things being forthright, I will just come out and say it. I love Isabella with everything that I am. I'm still reeling over the fact that she is my mate and I get to spend eternity with her. However, what I would love, is to be tied to her in all ways. I am asking you for your permission to marry Isabella," I told him bluntly, looking him in the eyes.

" Let me ask you this, then. In regards to the battle, do you believe that everything will turn out all right?" he asked.

"Yes. I do. I have faith that it will. I'm not saying that it's going to be easy or that there isn't going to be casualties, but, I believe that Isabella was brought to me at the correct time for a purpose. You have no idea what it's like existing for three thousand years alone. I've had to watch my family and friends find their mates and consequently, love, and, although I was happy for them, I felt empty. Isabella has brought a light to my world that I never thought I would find. I will do everything that is within my power to protect her. For, without her, I am nothing," I answered him with a great deal of emotion in my voice.

"Aro, I've seen the way you look at my daughter. Hell, I've seen the way she looks at you. It's every father's wish for their daughter to find a man who would treat them like a queen. You respect her and you love her. It's in everything you do. That is one of the reasons why I had so much trouble with that Cullen brat. He treated Bells like shit. My daughter deserves the best, and I think you are it. You have my permission," he took a step forward and shook my hand.

We headed back to the castle and made our way to the throne room where there seemed to be a bit of a commotion. Why is it that every time I turned around, something else appeared to have happened? It was starting to get a bit old.

I made my way towards my brothers to find them in a deep discussion with a tall, russet colored man. I recall seeing him in Charlie's memories. His name was Sam, and he was a shape-shifter.

"Caius, Marcus, what seems to be the problem now?" I asked them, deeply concerned as to why the shifters would be here.

"Hello to you too, brother," Caius responded jokingly. "There isn't any trouble this time. In fact, I would say that we have a bit of good news for you for a change."

Afraid of getting my hopes up, I looked at them skeptically. "What do you have to tell me that could be classified as good news?" I questioned them.

"The shifters arrived while you were hunting. After what has happened in Forks, they felt that it was their duty to lend us any assistance they could," Marcus clarified.

"Sam!" Charlie came forward and grabbed the big man's hand and shook it. "It's good to see you."

"Wow, Charlie! You look good. I should have known that you of all people wouldn't have died," Sam responded.

"I have Demetri to thank for it. If it wasn't for his quick thinking, I wouldn't be here now," Charlie answered.

"Sam!" I turned to see my Love coming towards us. "What are you doing here? " she asked him.

"Bella! So, this is where you have been. I shouldn't be surprised. Jake's going to have a coronary when he sees you," he jested.

"Is he here?" she asked nervously. I pulled her into my arms, gaining a questioning glance from the shifter.

"Yes, Bells. We're all here. He's off with that really huge vamp and the one whose name, I think, is Alec. I believe they were arguing over video games," he replied. "I, ah, don't mean to be disrespectful, but why are you here, Bella? I mean, obviously you're a vampire now, but how did you become one?"

"I think I can explain that." I piped in, leaning down to gently place a kiss on the top of Isabella's head. "Isabella is my mate. I went to Forks to claim her."

Sam looked slightly confused by what I has just revealed. "What, exactly, is a mate?" he asked.

"A mate to a vampire is what an imprint is to you guys," Isabella clarified for him. "I have a question for you, Sam. I was under the impression that all vampires are your enemies. How is it that you decided to come here?"

"I will be honest with you, Bells. In the past, the Qiuleutes have had a hatred towards the 'cold ones'. It didn't matter to us the color of their eyes. Even after all the time that was spent dealing with the Cullens, we harbored a deep hatred. We knew that the Cullens did not feed off of humans, but that didn't matter to us. All that we cared about was having an object for our hatred," he began to explain. There was a deep look of sorrow in his dark eyes.

"Sam, what is it? What changed for you?" Charlie asked him.

"We learned what real evil was. Charlie, the vampires that attacked you, massacred a house full party goers. It wasn't enough for them to bite them and drain them dry. What they had done was far worse than that," he said with a shudder.

I stepped towards him. "Sam, I have the gift of tactile telepathy. I can see every thought a person has ever had by just one touch. If you don't mind, I would like to see for myself what Jane and the others did?" I offered my hand to him which he reluctantly took.

I was instantly hit with every one of his memories, every thought he has ever had. I ignored them all, and concentrated on looking for the ones regarding the attack. When I finally found them, I was shocked. Here I was, an over three thousand years old vampire, and I was appalled by what Sam's memories showed me. Jane and her accomplices were truly responsible for a hideous massacre. They were not satisfied with just feeding on the innocent. They had dismembered them, leaving body parts strewn about. The walls of the home plastered in their blood. It was obvious that they didn't care about keeping our secret. This was a deliberate act to draw attention to us.

I heard my Love's pained gasp next to me, and I realized that she has tapped into my gift. She had seen his thoughts, as well. I pulled her into my arms to comfort her.

"Oh, Sam! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that," my Love told him.

Sam looked confused. "I thought you were the one who could read my mind?" he asked me.

"I was the one. However, Isabella's ability and our mating bond allows us to tap into each others gifts. She saw your memories, as well," I answered him.

"That's amazing. It sounds like your bond is just as strong as our imprinting," he said with an incredulous tone.

"Now that I know about imprinting, I can tell you that it is. It's just as instantaneous and just as strong," I informed him.

"Well, if that's the case, then I can't find fault with you for claiming your mate. I will say this, Jacob may be a bit of a problem," he informed us ruefully.

"Please don't tell me that he's still insisting that I'm meant to be with him. I don't know how many times I have told him that I would never feel that way about him," Isabella said with frustration in her voice.

"I hate to break it to you, Bella, but he has feelings for you. He refuses to listen to anyone," Sam told her.

"Gee, Isabella, sounds like you were quite the player," Caius joked.

My mates eyes glowed brightly at that comment. Isabella quickly reached over and slapped Caius in the back of his head. We all burst out laughing at his expense. "That's for being insulting. I am not a whore."

Caius rubbed the back of his head. "Ow! That hurt," he exclaimed.

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you said that to her. You deserved that and much worse."

Caius wisely threw his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. It was a foolish joke. I was just pointing out how Isabella always seems to charm the guys and never seems to be aware of it."

"She's still like that?" Sam asked.

We all shook our heads "yes" and Isabella is looking at us completely confused. "What are you guys talking about? I do _not_ charm anyone."

"I hate to break it to you, Bells, but you do. Just because you're completely unaware of it, doesn't mean that you aren't doing it," Charlie informed her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and placed a kiss on my mating mark on her neck. "You, my Love, are definitely a charmer. It's one of the things that I adore about you," I whispered in her ear.

She turned her head to place a soft kiss on my cheek."You're lucky I love you so much," she teased.

"Well, I hate interrupt you two lovebirds, but I believe I hear Jasper demanding that everyone get their asses back in the training yard," Marcus pointed out.

"Crap! Has Jasper always been such a hard ass? I appreciate his work ethic, but, seriously, does he ever stop?" Charlie inquired.

" I think it's safe to say that he's a workaholic," Marcus speculated.

"We better get moving. You know what he's like when you're late. Besides, this will be the shifters first day. We can't have them get on Jasper's bad side so soon," I pointed out.

I grabbed my Love's hand, while we all ran out to the yard. When we got there, the rest of the shifters were already there. I was impressed by their sheer size. One in particular, turned, and when he saw Isabella, his eyes lit up, briefly. Then, in a menacing voice he said, "Bella! So this is where you ran off to. Cullen wasn't enough for you? You had to go find some vamp that would be willing to change you. Is that it?"

I immediately knew this was Jacob. At that point, I didn't care about his little crush on my mate. I was pissed. No one speaks to Isabella that way. It looks like I need to have a conversation with him.

**Atmoskinesis- elemental manipulation **

**A/N: I'm sorry it has taken so long to get this out. I was working on the chapter when everyone in my house got sick and I broke my foot. When it rains, it pours. I'm not sure when the craziness will ever settle down, but I will keep updating.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I don't own it. I'm just messing with the characters.**

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I love getting all the feedback. It juices me up to write the next chapter. So, keep them coming.**

**My RL is still chaotic. Just when things seemed to have looked like they were going to calm down just a bit, something else popped up. My updating will not be on a regular schedule. I will update whenever possible.**

**I do not have a beta, so all mistakes are mine. If anyone is interested, please PM me.**

**Chapter 18**

**APOV**

I looked at Jacob with a great deal more anger than I had felt in a long time. This by far surpassed what I felt for Jane's betrayal. There was no way that I was going to tolerate anyone disrespecting my mate. Especially, a child who is angry over the fact that he was never able to garner Isabella's affections.

I took two purposeful steps towards him. The child had the audacity to sneer at me.

"If I were you, boy, I would apologize to Isabella, now," I said with a harsh edge to my voice.

"Why should I apologize? Isn't that what she did? She never could be happy with what was right in front of her," the child responded vehemently.

"Jacob, you need to shut the hell up! First, I will not hesitate to kick your ass for talking about my daughter that way," Charlie piped in angrily. He walked over to Jacob and looked him in the eye. "Second, you are talking about things that you have no knowledge of. If I were you, I would shut it before you make yourself look even more foolish."

"What? Am I hitting a soft spot? Is the truth to much to hear? As far as I'm concerned, Bella is a sell out, and she is responsible for the massacre in Forks," Jacob continued.

Before he was even capable of registering any movement, I had grabbed him by the throat, and had lifted him up into the air. Constricting his throat just enough so that he was unable to talk, I growled deeply. "You will never speak of my mate in such a way ever again. If I so much as read a negative thought from you about Isabella, I will not hesitate to end your life in the most agonizing way imaginable. Believe me, boy, I have lived for three thousand years. I know many ways to end a miserable existence such as yours." I unceremoniously released my hold on his throat, and he fell to the floor, choking.

It was then, that the Alpha of the pack stepped forward . "Jacob. You will apologize to Bella." When Jacob made an attempt to argue, Sam held up his large hand to stop him. " If I have to, I will alpha order you to do so. You are way out of line, and frankly, if someone had spoken to Emily the way you spoke to Bella, I would have torn them to shreds by now. I think Aro is showing a great deal of restraint. Do not push it."

"No!" My Love spoke up. She came forward gracefully, looking every bit betrayed by her best friend. "I do not want an insincere apology from him. It would be hollow, with no real meaning. I want something else entirely."

I gazed questioningly at her. "Then, what is it that you want, My Love?"

She smiled up at me lovingly, before turning her dark gaze to Jacob. In one swift movement, she had balled up her first and punched him in the face. The force she threw into it was enough to throw him across the room and embed him into the stone wall. The sound of his jaw breaking echoed throughout. He quickly gathered himself together, and after his jaw healed, he stumbled his way back over to my mate. Before he had the opportunity to reach her, Charlie blocked him.

"Jacob. I'm not going to say this again. You will not disrespect my daughter in any manner. If I ever find out that you have, it will be more than your jaw that you pick up off the floor. Am I clear?" Charlie stared him down, daring him to argue.

Jacob's face turned an odd shade, and he began to visibly shake. His trembling was increasing so rapidly, that even Sam's order for him to calm down didn't help. I was well aware of how dangerous these shifters were. They were capable of causing serious harm and permanent destruction to vampires.

With my mate's safety being in the forefront of my thoughts, I quickly rushed over to the out of control shifter, and grabbed him by his throat. Deliberately, I cut off his oxygen supply with the grip I had on him. His trembling began to slow down, until he, eventually, passed out.

I turned to the Alpha, and with an apologetic tone, I addressed him. " I hope you don't feel as if I have over-stepped my boundaries in regards to your pack member. My mate's safety is of the up most importance to me. So, I did what I felt was necessary in order to quickly diffuse the situation."

"You have nothing to apologize for. You, not only, did the very same thing I would have done had it been my mate, but he has disrespected you in your territory. It was well within your rights to take matters in hand, so to speak." He laughed while walking over to Jacob's unconscious form. Standing there, while shaking his head in disbelief, he looked up and grinned at me. "You know, it had never occurred to me that knocking one of them out while they are about to phase would actually stop the process ." He sighed, and with a slight shake of his head, he very quietly continued. "If only I had known sooner."

I knew from his thoughts that he was thinking about his imprint and what had happened when he had phased right next to her. She now carried the scars from that encounter, and he will always carry the guilt.

"All right. This has been both oddly entertaining and extremely irritating, but we really need to get back to training. Jasper is going to jump down our throats if we don't get out into the yard. I for one, don't feel like doing more work. That man sure knows how to bust our asses," Caius said.

Everyone groaned aloud at the thought of the training we had to get back to. Caius was correct. Jasper was certainly gifted when it came to both fighting and strategy. He was a brilliant tactician, which was why Caius, Marcus, and I put him in charge of the training. Grabbing a hold of my Beloved's hand, we all made our way out into the main yard. The eager look on Jasper's face as he greeted us was enough to put everyone on edge. He seemed genuinely pleased to have the wolves there . Apparently, it added an entirely new perspective on things, and gave us and advantage, as well.

**CHPOV (Charlie)**

I knew the moment that Aro asked for me to join him on a hunt, that he would be asking for my permission to marry Bella. From the first time that I saw the two of them together, I noticed, immediately, that they were very deeply in love. Knowing that my daughter had found someone who loved and respected her, made me extremely happy. I had to give my permission. This is all that father wants for his daughter.

Sure, I never thought about my daughter becoming one of the undead, but, hey, what matters is the fact that I get to keep her in my life, or my existence. She was happy, so I am happy. That is all that matters. Even I got a mate out of the deal. You can't do much better than that.

I was in such a good mood coming back from my hunt with Aro. I was content in the knowledge that my baby girl was marrying a good man. Plus, I have to admit that I really get off on the whole hunting thing. Damn, that is the shit! Of course, even that couldn't last long. It was great seeing Sam and the pack, but Jacob... not so much.

I always knew Jacob had a thing for Bells. You would have to be blind and stupid not to notice all the puppy dog eyes he was always throwing in her direction. You would also have to be equally stupid to not see how Bells couldn't stomach when he did that. I know he was her best friend. But really, how many times do you need to change the oil in her car in one month? Hello! She saw through all of it. She even went so far as to tell him that all she felt for him was the love of a sibling. She was even nice about it. Of course, her going behind his back and learning how to change the oil herself may have been a bit much. By that, I mean, she could have just taken the damn thing to a garage. Women. They always have to prove something.

Now, here we are, listening to Jacob spewing a fuck ton of shit all because he was jealous. Jealous that Bella never wanted him the way he wanted her, and jealous because she was fully mated. Now, I don't know what the hell is wrong with that kid, but if he thinks that I'm going to stand by while he speaks to my daughter that way, then he has some seriously dangerous mental problems.

Aro, of course, stepped upped like any good man would. However, it was my Bells breaking that snot nosed brat's jaw that really was the kicker. I have never been so proud. I'm the one who taught her how to throw a punch, by the way. It was perfectly executed.

But, that kids had some serious cojones ! He got back up and came at her, again. Thankfully, Aro knocked him on his ass before he had the chance to shift. That Aro is one quick thinker.

Now, for the dreaded training exercises. The only good thing I can think of about them, besides fighting next to my Gianna, was getting to learn how to kick some ass.

**BPOV**

After hearing the horrendous things that my former best friend accused me of, I felt the need to exert some energy. One of Jasper's special training sessions was just the thing I needed.

Currently, Jasper had all of us paired of and working on hand to hand combat. I was fortunate enough to be teamed up with Char. That woman has some amazing moves. I definitely learned a great deal from her. But, like everything that's happened lately, all good things must come to an end.

Jasper decided to switch up the teams, pairing up a vampire with a wolf. He decided to set me up with Jacob. Aro was not too happy with this.

"Jasper, I'm not so sure that that is such a good idea," Aro told him.

"Actually, it is the best idea. They need to learn how to work together as a team. Everyone here does. We need to familiarize ourselves with each others fighting styles. Who better to start off than the two who seem to have the most trouble getting along," Jasper informed him. He then turned to face the everyone else. "Pay very close attention to them. Watch them for any mistakes, and see for yourselves if I am right."

Jacob, of course, was completely arrogant and overly sure of himself. He sauntered over toward me as if he didn't have a care in the world. Frankly, I was insulted by his cavalier attitude about the training. My determination kicked in, and I decided that hurting him may be the only thing that will knock some sense into him.

Just as Jake was about to lunge for me, I sprang up over his head. While still air born, I twisted my body just enough to plant my feet in the center of his back. Giving a push, he was thrown back fifty feet, landing in a heap at Sam's feet. I came to rest, gracefully, atop a large boulder, waiting for Jake to respond.

He angrily picked picked himself up, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it. He sneered at me , and made a run towards me again. Waiting until the last possible second, I reached out, grabbing right his arm and using his own momentum against him, I threw him, yet again. This pattern continued for several more minutes. Each time Jacob would come at me, he found himself across the training yard, nursing his precious ego.

At this time, he had about enough of me tossing him around, so he decided to phase and attack me. I had enough of his pitiful attempts, and decided to end the fight. While he ran at me, I stretched out my shield, trapping him. While he was contained within it, I channeled energy into my shield, and shocked him into unconsciousness.

"Well, it's clear who the winner is," Jasper stated, walking over to me. "You're a natural fighter, Bella. You did really well, and I must say, what you can do with that shield is impressive. I take it that you didn't use it full strength, did you?" he asked me.

"Nope. I just wanted to shut him up," I told him with a laugh. Everyone joined in and laughed at the unconscious wolf on the ground.

Aro came over to me and pulled me into his arms. "You did so well, my Love. I love watching you fight. It is very stimulating." he whispered into my ear.

I groaned at his reference, wanting very much to disappear with him. Standing on my tip toes, I kissed him. Not satisfied with a small peck on the lips, Aro yanked me closer to him and began to kiss me fiercely.

"All right you two. Go get a room," Didyme called out to us. "He is my brother, and I, really, don't need to see him in that state."

"We have a room, and thanks to Jasper, we haven't been able to use it in a while," Aro replied jokingly. I giggled because it really was true.

"Jasper, I swear to all that is Holy, if you don't give those two some time to spend together, I am going to get really sick. May I remind all of you, that I am Bella's father, and I really don't need to see any of that," Charlie piped in.

"Actually, Charlie is onto something. There are several newly mated couples here, including yourself, Jasper. I think it would be wise to take some time away from training, and spend it with our mates," Marcus voiced.

"You are all a bunch of whiners. Seriously, do you think I would keep you from spending time with your mates? I was going to give everyone the next twenty four hours to do what ever they want. Believe it or not, I do think there is a thing as too much training," Jasper responded. Shaking his head, he took his mate's hand and started to walk back into the castle. "You whined, but now you're all just standing there."

Aro looked at me and before I could say a word, he had swept me up into his arms and ran to the castle. I guess I'm going to get to spend some quality time with my mate, after all.

**A/N: I'm sorry it has taken this long to update. My mother is back in the hospital. Between trying to help her, taking care of a house full of sick kids and myself, I am behind on my writing. **

**I will post updates on my profile letting everyone know the status of my stories. I don't want to ****leave anyone hanging.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I don't own the players I'm just using them on my field.**

**Thank you for the amazing reviews for my last chapter. I was more than happy to read all of them. They gave me a much needed boost.**

**My RL is still insane. Due to all of the things I am trying to juggle, my updates will not be on a regular schedule. Please have patience. I have not abandoned this story. I will update when I can.**

**I am still without a beta. All mistakes are my own.**

**Reviews are very welcome, but please, no flames. I do not take kindly to individuals who leave nasty reviews with the intent of tearing someone down. We writers work hard on our stories, and we put both our hearts and our passion into our work. There is a great difference between constructive criticism and viciously attacking someone out of jealousy.**

**Chapter 19**

**JPOV(Jane)**

Everything was going accordingly. My plans to take over Volterra were on track and looked promising. Teaming up with Victoria, was nothing more than a stroke of luck. Whatever her issues were with that slut, Bella Swan, were of no concern to me. After all, I have fooled Victoria into thinking that I was looking after her welfare, as well as my own. In all honesty, I couldn't, possibly, care less.

Of course, Vicky wasn't the only fool that I managed to mislead into thinking that I cared about them. Santiago proved to be easily manipulated. He was under the impression that I had every intention of handing Swan over to him, so that he can do whatever he pleases to her. I'm quite sure that his plans were diabolical, but I refuse to allow anyone to take away my right for revenge.

As I paced the ground beneath me, I allowed my thoughts to go back to the time on the Volturi jet. That whore actually thought she had every right to reprimand me for telling her that she didn't belong with Aro, and for calling her a "blood bag". I spoke nothing but the truth. Aro was mine, until she came into the picture. I, honestly, could not fathom what he saw in her. She wasn't all that beautiful. If I were to describe her, I would use the words gangly and needy. She makes my venom boil!

With her death in the near future, I would take what rightfully belongs to me. Aro would see that I was the one he should have mated with. Of course, I will have to punish Aro for betraying me. I can not be the Queen of Volterra and allow individuals to get away with disrespecting me. It would set a bad precedent. So, I plan on using Aro as an example. Let others see what can happen to them if they cross me.

**VPOV(Victoria)**

At long last, my revenge is nearly at hand. I have tried everything in my power to kill that bitch, Bella. Every attempt I made had been thwarted by those damn dogs. Their stench alone almost had me give up.

After what seemed like a ridiculous amount of time trying to get to her, I decided to have a little fun. It was so very convenient for me that several of her closest friends were at that party I had crashed. Hearing their screams brought an odd sense of joy to me. I found so much pleasure in watching their blood spatter across the walls and pool on the floors. Being able to create that much carnage, renewed my desire to tear that little whore apart. The icing on the cake was being able to catch her father unaware. Of course, that Volturi scum had to find him and that female before they bled out.

And, let's us not forget the piece de resistance. Oh, the sheer joy I felt as I removed her mother's head! I think it was quite genius of me to mail it to her. My only regret is not being able to see her face as she opened it.

I was beginning to become impatient, but when I questioned Jane, she informed me that more assistance was on the way, and we had to wait for their arrival. She never bothered to tell me who we were waiting for. I just hope they get here soon. I have a whore to torture.

**BPOV**

Aro and I spent the nearly the entire twenty-fours hours locked in each others arms. I had missed being in his arms. We had made love so much, that I was certain that if I were still human, I would probably never walk again. My God, that man knew how to drive me to new levels of lust. The way her caressed me and the way he kissed me, were simply mind blowing.

I had no desire to move from my mate's arms, but both Marcus and Caius called out for Aro, stating that they had important information to share with him. At that moment, I felt like kicking their asses for interrupting us.

I sighed and pouted a little. Aro, seeing my obvious disappointment, grabbed me up into his arms, and kissed me with a great deal of passion.

"My love, I am truly sorry that our time alone is interrupted. I vow to you, that as soon as we have more time to ourselves, we can revisit our favorite past-time," he said apologetically.

I kissed him again, and putting on a happy face, I said, "I understand. Marcus and Caius would not request your presence if it wasn't important. I just wish it was over and done with. I miss being with you."

"I know, sweetheart. I feel the same way. I know it's a bit of a strain for you because you are, technically, still a newborn, but I am so proud of you and of how well you are handling things," he responded while kissing my forehead.

"I'll be fine. You better go see what they want. You know how much they like to nag," I said teasingly.

With one last searing kiss, Aro quickly dressed and sped out the door. The second he was gone, I began to miss his presence.

I pulled myself together and went to take a hot shower. Feeling the hot water beating down on my cold body, helped me to relax. I finished up and got dressed. Since we would be going right back to training in a few hours, I opted to wear jeans and a tee-shirt.

Walking through the ancient corridor on my way to see Dora and Didyme, I ran into Tanya Denali. I excused myself and attempted to walk past her, when I felt her grab my arm and pull me around to face her.

"So, you are the whore that tried to take Edward from me," she sneered angrily.

Wrenching my arm free from her firm grip, I narrowed my eyes and replied, "Let's get a few things straight. Never lay your hands on me, unless you feel like pulling away with one less arm. Secondly, I am not the whore. After all, you are the Succubus here. Your entire existence is based on luring men into bed with you. And thirdly, I never took Edward away from you."

"Why, you little bitch. Edward being in the dungeon is your fault. You seduced him and then set him up." She looked me over and with a scornful laugh, continued, "I don't see what you could possibly posses that would warrant you to, not only, garner my Edward's attentions, but the attentions of Aro himself."

"Lucky for me that what you think and how you feel means nothing to me. And, for the record, Aro is my mate. A fact you will never understand, since you don't happen to have one ," I said mockingly.

"Oh, please. I think you have inflated your significance. Aro feels sorry for you, nothing more. In fact, I wouldn't mind having a go at him. You, more than likely, haven't been able to please him. I could show him what a real woman is like in bed," she laughed.

Anger rose up inside of me, making it difficult to control my shield. The second that nasty skank started speaking about my mate, I started to lose all self-control. "You will keep you filthy hands off of my mate. In fact, I do not want to see you even looking at him. Your disgustingly pathetic attempts at trying to be sexy will only serve to sicken him. Which, oddly enough, is how everyone feels when they see you," I cautioned her, with a menacing voice.

I watched as the whore's eyes blackened. She then attempted to punch me in the face. Anticipating her move, I easily threw out my shield and trapped her within it. Growling in anger, I threatened her. "If you ever try to strike me again, I will cause you more pain than your infinitesimal little mind could comprehend. Do I make myself clear?" I asked her.

Apparently, she's an idiot, because she opened her mouth again. "What's the matter, bitch? You don't like competition? I guess you are fully aware that I can fuck Aro better than you ever could," she retorted spitefully.

Not giving her another chance, I used the electrical impulses that flow within my shield and electrocuted her until she collapsed in agony. The scent of her venom and that of her scorched skin permeated throughout the corridor. I strode over to her limp form and knelt down. "You were warned. I better not find myself having this discussion with you ever again." I got up and walked away, leaving her in a smoking heap on the floor.

Well, that skank blew all my calm. Time to train. I need to hit something.

**APOV**

I made my way to Marcus' study, and was greeted by both he and Caius looking very angry. This was not going to be good.

"Well, brothers, do you care to share with me whatever has you this angry?" I asked them, pulling out a chair to sit.

They looked at one another, silently arguing over who was going to tell me. Caius lost and turned to me. " As you know, we have had a few spies keeping track of Jane and her followers. One of the sent a message to us, informing us that Jane is joining forces with the Romanians. Although, this particular spy believes that Jane and the Romanians have a different agenda. They both want control of Volterra, but they have different plans as to who gets that control."

I had suspected that something like this was going to happen. The Romanians have wanted to overthrow us for quite sometime, and they have no trouble using whatever means necessary to secure a triumph.

"Did our spy happen to mention the numbers that we are going to have to face?" I asked, my voice laced with apprehension.

"Yes," Marcus replied. "With the Romanian army and the newborns that Jane acquired, we are looking at, roughly, one hundred and seventy-five . The numbers fluctuate often, due to the in fighting going on with the newborns."

My entire being was flooded with concern. The numbers we were going to have to go up against were staggering. We did not have that many in our ranks.

"We need to speak to Jasper. He needs to know what we are up against, and prepare us accordingly," I told them.

My thoughts immediately went to my mate. I was angry that anyone dared to take her from me. I spent three thousand years alone and miserable, waiting for my mate to cross my path. The moment I found my love, a peace came over me that I had never felt before. She completes me in a way that nothing else ever could. These fools will pay dearly for this betrayal. I will enjoy watching their suffering.

Turning to my brothers, I spoke in an eerily calm voice. "Call Jasper to the study. We will confer on this latest information. After wards, training will resume. Gather everyone together."

I was ready. I would defend my love and my kind from anyone who would dare to fight us. As the humans say, let the games begin.

**UPOV**

I must keep quiet. I can't let anyone find out that I was in the dungeon. The guards that were posted, were so easily played. They practically released Edward on their own. It's nice to see that I still have it in me.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I must apologize for taking so long with this chapter. I still have my hands full with RL drama, and my time to write is limited. Due to the fact that I have so much going on, I have decided to put my other story, "Sunrise" on temporary hold. I just do not have the time right now to juggle two stories. I will continue to work on this one, but I will only be able to post when I can. Please just bear with me. **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: The players are not mine. I'm just borrowing them for my game.**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favored me, or have done both. It's encouraging to see so many people enjoy my story and appreciate the work I put into it.**

**On the subject of reviews; I read all my reviews. I do not delete any reviews that contain constructive criticism. I do not think it's right to mislead the readers by padding the review page with only positive reviews. I find it dishonest to delete reviews that you don't like. To me, that is a deliberate attempt to mislead the readers into thinking your story is perfect and doesn't contain any flaws. I let the readers decide how they feel about what I write. **

**Please remember that I, myself, do not have a beta. All mistakes are my own. I do the best I can, but even I miss things now and then.**

**I'm sorry. I still do not have a regular updating schedule. Chaos runs my life, and I'm still fighting to get the time to write. Please bear with me. **

**Chapter 20**

**SPOV(Stefan)**

In just a few short hours, we will be joining up with Jane and the newborn army. Vladimir and I were able to easily deceive Jane and her counterparts into thinking that we have some concern for their cause. My bother and I only care for one thing: Our revenge against the Volturi.

We have waited for over a millennium to see the Volturi scum be brought to their knees. We wish for nothing more than to see every last one of them be obliterated. After our revenge has been satisfied, Vladimir and I will take our rightful places as the leaders of our kind. Vampires will once again bow to us.

**VPOV(Vladimir)**

Our plan was flawless. Jane did not suspect a thing. The little fool was too blinded by her feelings of rejection to see clearly. Obviously, she wasn't all that intelligent. Even I knew she wasn't Aro's mate, but her childish temper will prove to be her undoing.

Soon, very soon, my brother and I will have what is rightfully ours. Any one who stands in our way will not be shown mercy.

**JPOV(Jasper)**

We were getting ready to begin training exercises again, when I picked up intense feelings of deception and elation. The deception has me a bit concerned, considering the situation we are currently in. I decided to wait a few minutes to see if anything changes.

"All right, everyone, let's get it together. I need everyone with a gift to step forward," I called out.

I watched as Bella and Aro stepped forward first, with all the other gifted vampires following suit.

I was just about to have them start, when the feelings of deception intensified. That was it. I needed to get some answers. Something was not right.

I gestured to Aro, and he walked over to me. I quickly brushed my hand against his, making sure that no one would be able to see the motion of our hands. Trying to keep things looking as normal as possible, I decided to ask him to work with Bella and her shield.

"Aro, I need to see how far Bella can project her shield, and in turn, how far you will be able to. _ I keep getting the intense feeling of deception. Someone has done something, and we need to figure out what. I'm going to walk around and try to pinpoint who. I believe we have a traitor in our midst. _The key is to not only expand it, but to hold onto it," I informed him.

Understanding both messages that I had given him, he nodded his head and headed back to his mate.

Walking over to Felix, I decided that his immense size would make him perfect in helping Bella with her shield. "Felix, I want you to help Aro and Bella with her shield. Try to attack her. Bella, keep him as far away from you as possible. Each time he tries, I want you to push back further," I told her.

I continued giving orders, while checking the emotions of each vampire. So far, I had not come across the one projecting the deception. Peter walked over to me, looking very angry.

"Major, we have a problem," he said, with an aggravated tone.

"Captain, I am well aware. It seems that we always have a problem here," I replied in frustration. I angrily ran my fingers through my shaggy blonde hair, yanking on it.

Peter stepped closer to me, and in a voice too low for anyone else around to hear, he told me what I feared the most. "We have a traitor, and they released Edward."

The fact that there was a traitor was no surprise. However, the knowledge that Edward was released was unsettling.

"I knew about there being a Benedict Arnold, but I had no clue what they did. I was picking up intense feelings of deception. I made Aro aware," I told him, shaking my head.

"Yea, well, it gets worse. Go over by the Cullens," Peter directed me.

I looked at him with a hint of confusion, but followed his directions. While I was walking over to them, the feelings intensified. Not only that, but I also began to pick up fear. When I finally reached them, I stopped dead in my tracks. Shock coursed through my body. Never, in all my years as a vampire, would I have ever been prepared for this kind of betrayal. Even Alice's betrayal does not come close.

I gestured to Peter, who came up behind me. He wisely brought Alec with him. It was time to call out our little back-stabber.

"Masters, if you would, please come over here for a moment," I said with deadly calm.

Carlisle stepped forward, confused over what was going on. "Jasper, is there something wrong?"

"I'm afraid there is, Carlisle. You're about to find out," I answered.

"I take it that you have discovered the source of the problem," Aro said quietly.

Instead of answering him, I gave him my hand to read. He quickly grabbed it, and after a few moments, released it. Clearly, he was livid.

"Aro, what is going on?" Caius asked in confusion.

Aro held his hand up. He then strode over to Rosalie, snatching her hand so that he could read her thoughts.

Emmett was completely lost and didn't understand what was going on. Esme was wrapped up in Carlisle's arm, clearly afraid. But, it was Rosalie's emotions that I found interesting. To everyone else, she came off as arrogant and confident. But to me, I could feel the terror surging through her. She was practically drowning in it.

When Aro finished reading her thoughts, he threw her hand away from him as if it was contaminated with some disease that might actually kill him. He was pissed.

"What is it, Aro?" Marcus asked.

"It's quite simple, really. Miss Hale, here, went down into the dungeon, seduced the guard that was watching Edward Cullen, and managed to get the guard to release him. She blames my mate for everything and wants Bella to die," Aro replied with a harsh edge to his voice.

By this time, Bella had walked over to Aro and wrapped her arms around him. Bella would be the only one to calm him now.

"No. Why? How? Rosalie, how could you? How could you betray me, us, Bella like that? What the hell!" Emmett yelled.

"Bella? Bella is the reason we are is this mess to begin with. If she hadn't of weaseled her worthless ass into our family, then none of us would be here having to train for a war," Rosalie screamed at Emmett, while pointing angrily at Bella.

"Whoa! Back it the hell up, you nasty ass whore!" Bella yelled at her, while stepping out of Aro's arms. By this time, everyone had gather around to see what was happening.

"Who do you think you are calling a whore?" Rosalie sneered at Bella.

Bella smirked, giving Rose a quick look from head to toe. "Uh...you. You are married and mated to Emmett, yet you screwed a guard to get him to let the gay virgin vampire loose. I would say that that definitely qualifies you as a whore."

"I did what needed to be done. Besides, you probably screwed that entire pack of rabid dogs you are so fond of," Rose replied, laughingly.

"First of all, I was a virgin when Aro and I met. Secondly, do not call my friends rabid dogs, or I will sic them on you," Bella told her.

"Do you honestly think that I'm afraid of you? You're a nobody. That's why Edward never wanted you," Rosalie said, taunting Bella.

Bella stood still for a moment just looking at her. Suddenly, she burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to get a control of her laughter. " That is just the funniest thing I have ever heard. Seriously, Rosalie,I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that I'm not mated to the Boy Wonder. Because, boy, I wonder if he's straight." With that, Bella keeled over, and cracked up laughing all over again. Everyone else cracked up over that one. It was good.

After a few more moments of snickering, everyone calmed down, and Bella continued. "Let's get something straight. I want to make this very clear, because I never want to address this again. I did not weasel my way into your family. Edward pursued me. It was Edward who stopped the van from crushing me. Edward who brought me to your house. It was always him. You can try to blame me all you want, but you keep forgetting that I was human. Are you trying to claim that a mere human over powered a vampire and forced herself onto him? Your claims are both erroneous and unfounded. It seems to me that the real problem is your jealousy."

"Jealous! Why the hell would I be jealous of you? You are nothing!" Rosalie screeched.

"You are jealous of the fact that Edward had shown interest toward me when he never showed you any. What a blow that must have been to that oversized ego of yours. But, that's not the really sick thing. What bothers me is the fact that you betrayed your own mate. You stabbed Emmett in the back in the most horrific way imaginable. That man has stood by you and supported you through every damn thing you have ever been through. How he has ever tolerated you and your disgustingly selfish behavior is beyond me. Personally, I think he can do much better, but fate stuck him with you. You should bow down and kiss that man's ass. What you have done is more reprehensible than anything I can imagine. He is your mate, and you do not deserve him." Bella stood before Rosalie with all the hatred she had for her visible in her eyes. Bella still loved Emmett and considered him to be the big brother she never had.

Rosalie's eyes blackened with her anger. "How dare you judge me and my actions. You know nothing. Victoria should have killed you a long time ago." With that, she foolishly charged Bella. Bella was prepared for her attack. She grabbed Rosalie's arm and tossed her across the yard. Bella looked over at Emmett, not wanting to upset him further. He solemnly nodded his head, giving her the permission she sought.

Rose quickly got back up and made another go at Bella. Clearly, she was not paying attention to what she was doing. Bella easily blocked her, then execute a beautiful high kick that connected to Rose's head, nearly severing it. Rose laid on the ground, with her head barely attached, looking stunned.

Aro stepped forward, pulling his mate into his arms. "Felix, grab Miss Hale and take her to the dungeon. I want two guards put on her, one male and one female. Also, check on our other prisoner."

Esme walked over to Emmett and threw her arms around him, attempting to comfort him."I'm so sorry, son," she told him quietly.

Emmett didn't look so good. The hurt and the pain I was getting from him was more feeling than I have ever felt from him in all the years that I have known him.

"Emmett, if I may, I would like to help you. I know you are torn up right now and with good reason. You have been betrayed by you mate. Yes, Rosalie really is your mate. I wish I could say otherwise," Marcus told him gently. I saw Emmett's shoulders visibly slump . Obviously, a part of him was hoping that she really wasn't his mate. "Due to the fact that your own mate committed the worst kind of betrayal between mates, it has now opened up an opportunity for you to be able to break your mating bond with her."

No sooner had those words left Marcus' mouth, then everyone's jaws dropped, and they turned to stare at him. I could feel the shock and disbelief everyone was feeling. Even I didn't know what to think.

"Please understand, a mating bond can only be broken when the highest betrayal has been committed. The victimized mate is the only one capable of breaking the bond. If they choose to do so, they will be able to move on, and fate will find them another mate. The mate who has committed the heinous act, will still have their mating bond intact and will forever feel the pain of a rejected bond. It is their punishment," Marcus explained further.

Emmett looked directly at Marcus, a light shining in his eyes. I no longer wish to have Rosalie as my mate. She has betrayed me, and not only that, she has not shown any remorse for doing so."

"Well, Emmett, it appears that you bond to Miss Hale no longer exists," Marcus informed him.

Just then, I was brought to my knees by the most heart wrenching agony. I believe someone has just found out what has happened.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I don't own the characters. I'm just messing around with them.**

**Thank you for all the awesome reviews! They give me the kick in the butt I need to keep going on.  
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**I still do not have a beta. All mistakes are mine. Regardless of how many times I go back over a chapter, I tend to miss a few things. **

**I'm sorry I am still unable to update more frequently. My RL is beating the stuffing out of me. Please just bear with me.**

**Chapter 21**

**BPOV**

It has been four hours now since Emmett broke his mating bond to that nasty whore, Rosalie. And in that entire four hours, we have all been subjected to hearing her high, pitch, keening wails of agony. If I wasn't already dead, I would have shot myself just so I wouldn't have to hear her anymore.

Good Lord! What the hell did she expect was going to happen? She cheated on her mate. Now she has to face the consequences for her indiscretions.

I must confess that I am not the only one curious to see who fate chooses to be Emmett's next mate. Whoever she is, she better be worthy of him. He has had enough bullshit to deal with for several lifetimes.

I was interrupted from my musings by my mate yanking me into his arms, trying to get my attention.

"Sweetheart, are you all right? I have been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes," Aro asked me while placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I'm sorry, baby. I was just thinking about Emmett. I was hoping that his new mate treats him the way he deserves to be treated," I responded, snuggling closer to him. I nuzzled my face into Aro's neck and inhaled his amazing scent. It was not only masculine, but it had a calming affect on me.

"Ah... I see. Well, far be it from to me to be overly-judgmental, but Rosalie was never right for him," Aro told me.

"Wait! What do you mean by 'she was never right for him?" I asked slightly confused. "I thought that fate or whatever you call it chose the perfect mate for everyone?"

"Actually, my love, it isn't fate that chooses the one we are meant to be with. It is our souls that do," he informed, pulling me even closer to him.

"Perhaps I can shed a little light on the subject," Marcus said, walking over to us.

"I hope so, because I'm a bit confused. I was told that fate chose who mates with whom," I informed them.

"I have and idea of who the fool was that misinformed you. I think Aro would agree with me when I tell you to disregard everything the Cullen brat ever told you. It is apparent that he was going out of his way to mislead you. If you ever have any questions, all you need to do is ask either myself, Caius, or your own mate," Marcus instructed me gently.

Thank God that I can no longer blush. I cannot believe how gullible I was when I was human.

"There's no reason to be embarrassed, my love. You were a human that was being pursued by a vampire. It is not your fault that Edward was a devious little prick," Aro reminded me, while lovingly brushing the back of his hand against my cheek.

"OK, whatever you say. So are you going to explain the mating thing to me?" I eagerly asked.

"It's quite simple, really. Our souls recognize the souls of others. When the soul finds its perfect match, it forms the mating bond," Marcus said.

I looked at him for a moment, giving myself time to absorb what he just said. Yea, I was still confused.

"If that is the case, then why the hell did Emmett form a mating bond with someone who wasn't right for him?" I asked. Just the thought of Emmett getting stuck with a bitch like Rose made my granite skin crawl.

"I can't give you a definitive answer. I can only surmise that, at the time, Emmett was what Rosalie needed. Now I really can't say whether or not Rosalie was what he needed though," Marcus explained.

"Well, from what I have seen of her behavior when I was with Eddie, she was always selfish and put herself first. She always spoke down to him as well. I never said anything to anyone, but I never thought they fit together," I told them. "I care about Emmett. I really do. I'm still pissed about being ditched, but that doesn't meant I don't care. Plus, I understand more of the situation now. I just hope he can get his happily ever after."

"I think it's safe to say that Emmett will come out on top, and he will find his happiness," Aro said encouragingly.

I was not surprised that Emmett broke free.

"Wait a second," I said, just as another thought hit me. "Emmett broke his bond to Rosalie because she betrayed him, right?" I asked them.

"Yes!" they both relied in sync while nodding their heads.

"I hope that doesn't mean that, if I do something that pisses Aro off, he will be able to break our bond," I continued nervously. I felt my love tighten his hold on me.

"No, cara, that's not what I mean. When Rosalie had sex with the guard, she committed the greatest act of betrayal that a mate can ever perpetrate against their own mate. It is considered a crime, in fact. Because of her actions, the mating bond that had tied Emmett to Rosalie weakened greatly, giving him the opportunity to break it. It is only by transgressing in such a manner that will allow a bond to be broken," Marcus elucidated.

"Remember that only his bond to Rosalie is broken. Her bond to him is still intact. I have heard that the pain from a rejected bond is almost as painful as the transformation itself. Believe me, in time, she will beg to die," Aro added. Somehow, I couldn't find it in me to care. She got what she deserved.

**EPOV(Emmett)**

I have never been more humiliated and angry in my entire existence. To be betrayed by my mate and have it aired so publicly was just more than I could take.

I have done everything for that bitch. I was the one who helped her deal with the emotional and mental pain she suffered after what Royce and his cronies did to her. I supported her. It's very difficult to be part of a newly mated couple and not be able to claim my mate. But I had to be patient. I waited and worked with her. I did everything for her, including putting my wants and needs on the back burner. I had no problem doing it either. I loved her She was my mate, and I would have walked through hell fire just to see her happy. All of it, every last bit of it was for nothing.

I should have known. Over the years, she has shown me how incredibly selfish she is. She never cared about how I felt or what I wanted. She had to be the center of attention. And I put up with it. All of it! Why? Because when you truly love someone, they become the central focus of your existence. Well, she certainly made it obvious that she never truly loved me. The sick thing is that she defended her actions and showed no remorse. What a piece of work!

I have to say it. I enjoyed watching my baby sister kick her whorish ass. Damn! Bella beat the shit out of her. Plus, Bella defended me and that meant more to me than I can ever say. There's a possibility of Bella and I getting close again, and I'm happy about that.

But when Marcus informed me that I could now break my bond to my whoring mate, I didn't even need to think about it. Who the hell would want to be mated to a bitch like that? And for all eternity? Not me! It was a no brainer. Ding dong the bitch is gone!

Now I just have to wait to see what sort of goddess I end up being mated to. After getting rid of the ice queen, I really have no worries about what kind of woman my new mate will be. Anything will be an improvement over Rosalie.

**APOV(Alice)**

I hate it in here. I've been wearing the same clothes I came here with. I'm lucky if they even bother to let me feed. The one guard threw a skunk in the cell for me. The horrible things sprayed me. It sprayed me a lot. At first, I didn't want to touch it. But then my hunger got to be too much, and I launched myself at it, attaching my teeth to its neck and drinking its blood. I couldn't take it anymore. It was so vile and disgusting, but my need for blood won out over the heinous scent of skunk spray. My nose has been burning ever since.

I saw what Rosalie was going to do. I knew Edward would escape, but I had hoped he would take me with him. After all, I did keep his plans for Bella a secret.

But when the time came, he never even gave me a second look. That bastard! Well, he'll pay. He'll pay dearly for stabbing me in the back.

I have been having visions like crazy. They are coming so rapidly, it is almost non stop now. I know where he went to, and I know where Jane and her army are. I also know when they will arrive, and it's sooner that everyone is thinking.

So I have a plan. I'm going to help the Volturi. At least they stand by their word. Edward will rue the day her stabbed me in the back. But first, I have to get out of this cell and get an audience with the Masters.

"Excuse me," I called out to the guard behind the door.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"I was wondering if you can get word to Master Aro. I have been having a lot of visions of the newborn army, and I really think he needs to see them for himself," I informed him. The only reply I got was a loud grunt of disapproval. "I'm completely serious. The visions have been coming almost nonstop. I think the Masters need to know what's coming."

I listened as the one guard ordered the other guard to go and inform Aro of what was going on. Hopefully, Aro will understand the importance of my visions.

**APOV**

Marcus, and I had just finished explaining the mating process to my Isabella, when Corin came running up to me. She was one of the guards I have stationed in the dungeon. All I can think of was, _what now?_

"Masters, the seer is claiming that she has been having a lot of visions, and she thinks that Master Aro needs to see them for himself," Corin informed us. Marcus, Caius, and I looked at each other, doubt clouding our features.

"Well, brothers, it has been almost five hours since our last bout of drama. It looks like it's time for more," Caius said. Marcus and Aro just rolled their eyes at him.

"We might as well find out what she has been seeing," Marcus said. Turning to Corin, "Have the seer brought to the throne room. We will deal with her there," he ordered.

"Let's get this over with. All this drama is going to end up turning me into a girl," Caius joked.

"Come, my love. I want you with us. This should be interesting." Aro grabbed a hold of my hand, and we walked back into the castle at a leisurely pace.

When we finally reached the throne room, we could see that Alice was already there. Several of the Volturi guards stood around her, not trusting her enough to give her any kind of space. Each of them was trying to hold their noses and wearing looks of utter disgust. Then I realized why they were doing that. Alice reeked to high Heaven. She smelled like stale old skunk mixed with mildew. It was nasty! I really didn't want to know why she smelled like a skunk.

While still holding my hand, Aro walked up to Alice. Looking down into her eyes, he said, "I heard that you had some visions you thought I should see," he stated in a dull tone, while trying to maintain his composure. Alice's stench was bothering my mate as well.

Alice wisely lowered her head in submission. "Yes, Master Aro, I do," she replied quietly.

Without further warning, Aro captured her hand and began to see all the visions she has been having. I then felt that tell tale niggling feeling in our bond, and I was pulled into her memories along with him.

After a moments time, he released her hand. The visions were not good, and did not bode well for us. It's almost as if my worst nightmare would soon come to pass. The upcoming battle would be more deadly than any of us thought, and I was afraid. Not for myself, but for the ones I loved. I feared losing my mate more than anything. If Alice's visions do come to pass, where will our hope lie?

**A/N: Italian translation:**

**Cara-dear **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Twilight is not mine, but the plot is.**

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I have, finally, broken 600 reviews. Thank you to everyone who has posted a review, letting me know what you think about my story. It really does mean alot.**

**This chapter was very difficult to write. I started and restarted several times, until I was satisfied with it. I feel that this chapter is, in part, transitional as well as having parts that are pivotal to the rest of the story.**

**As always, I still do not have a beta, so all mistakes are mine. Just so you know, I do not hurry up and post as soon as I finish. I go over each chapter several times, in order to catch any mistakes. Unfortunately, since I do not have the benefit of an extra pair of eyes, I do tend to miss a few. Please, bear with me.**

**My RL is crazy. I know I haven't had a regular schedule for updates because of it. Regrettably, it will still be that way for a while. My eldest daughter just graduated high school, and we are in the process of preparing for her leaving for college in August. As soon as things slow down for me, I will get back to regular updates.**

**PPOV(Peter)**

Never in my existence would I have thought that Volterra would be a hot bed for the insane! Holy shit, Batman, this place is crazy.

Here I am, training my ass off for an upcoming war, when my "knower" just starts to go off. I swear, the shit that pops into my head sometimes is enough to make me want to get drunk off my ass. It's really a shame that I can't have a beer or even get drunk.

As of right now, sirens are blaring in my head. Everything is telling me to talk to Aro about Satan's pixie. That bitch is pathetic.

So I ran my cute little ass off to get to the throne room, before the spiteful sprite tries to fuck with the Masters' heads.

I got to the throne room just as Aro finished reading Alice's mind. The look on his face was not pleasant.

"Masters, my "knower" has been going off like crazy, and it all has to do with Alice," I told them quickly.

"Wait! What are you talking about, Peter?" a confused Caius asked me.

"What I'm saying is that my 'knower'," I said, gesturing to my head, "is telling me that we should not trust mayhem's midget. She does not care about helping us. She only wants to get back at Eddie. You need to keep close eyes on her at all times. She will betray us. Don't ask me how I know. I just do," I explained to them.

Aro looked at me for a second and then returned his gaze to Alice. "I have read her thoughts. Are you suggesting that she has somehow figured out how to get around my gift?" he questioned, looking disgusted at the thought.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. She's keeping something from you. Remember what I first told you. She cannot be trusted," I told him emphatically. It was imperative that the Masters understood this. We can't have the rabid pixie running loose.

**APOV**

The visions were disturbing at best. Alice had seen all of the Volturi, as well as those who came to lend their assistance, dying. Jane's newborn army would vanquish us, destroying everyone swiftly. Within Jane's ranks was a newborn that she had recently turned. He has the gift of deprivation. This individual had to ability to block the gifts of others. Without the use of all of the gifts at our disposal, we are hopeless.

I stood there for a moment, trying to make sense of all of Alice's memories and visions I just read. I was beginning to lose hope, when Peter ran in, reminding me that he previously told us to not trust Alice. I contemplated what he said. If it was possible for her to circumvent my gift, then there's no telling what she could be hiding from us.

Turning to Felix, I ordered, "Go get the Major. I believe he will be useful."

"What is it, Aro? Do you believe it is possible for her to hide thoughts from you," Marcus inquired.

I turned to Marcus. As I was about to answer, the Major came up to us. He looked angry, glancing at Alice with distaste easily visible in his features.

"What has she done this time?" he asked, suspicion lacing his voice.

"Alice has been having a great many visions, and she believed I needed to see them. However, Peter ran in, telling us not to trust her. He believes she has the ability to hide thoughts from me," I told him quickly. I turned to my mate and pulled her close to me. I needed to feel her in my arms. At this point, she is the only thing able to keep me grounded. Isabella wrapped her arms around my waist, giving me a tight squeeze.

"I wouldn't be surprised. She is very deceptive and will do whatever is necessary to maintain her existence. What, exactly, did you see in her memories?" he asked me hesitantly.

I looked down at my love, knowing full well that she had seen it all right along with me. She gave me a sharp little nod, letting me know that she gave me her support. I looked back at Jasper, and replied, "She saw that there is a newborn Jane recently acquired that has the ability to temporarily remove gifts from other vampires. According to what I saw, all of us will be destroyed."

You could hear the sharp intake of breath from several vampires in the throne room. Shock replaced the hope that had been in everyone's eyes. As a leader, sharing news of this kind was always disheartening.

Jasper's eyes narrowed as he took in Alice's form. Stepping closer to her, he wrinkled his nose at the heinous odor wafting off of her. Looking over to me for a brief second, he asked, "Skunk?"

Nodding my head, I replied, "Yes, it would seem that the guard took some enjoyment out of forcing her to drink from one,"

He shook his head and returned his attention to his former wife.  
>"Well, Alice, what else are you keeping from the Masters?" he asked her, easily slipping into his military persona.<p>

Alice shook her head, attempting to deny hiding things from us. "I am not keeping anything from them."

"Ah, ah, ah, Alice. you forget that I'm an empath. You're lying! Would you like to try that again?" he asked sternly.

Indignantly stomping her foot, she replied, "I am not lying!"

Jasper's eyes blackened with anger. Stepping closer to her, he responded, "If you will not tell us of your own accord, then I will force you to do so." A brief moment later, Alice was on the floor sobbing and begging him to stop using his gift on her.

"You had your chance, Alice. You chose to continue with your prevarication. I can easily get the information from you," he said darkly. From the way he was handling her, it was obvious that he no longer had any feelings for her.

"How can you do that? You can only control emotions. And besides, you would never harm me. You love me," she told him haughtily.

Crouching down closer to her, he sneered at her in distate. "First of all, I do not love you. I loathe you. I have a mate who I love beyond reason. Secondly, you have also seem to have forgotten that compliance is also an emotion." With that, he used his gift again, forcing her to answer truthfully.

"Please, I'm sorry. I am lying. I did hide something from you!" she screeched as if in pain.

"What have you been hiding, Alice," Jasper asked he angrily.

"I manipulated my vision so that it would appear that the Volturi would lose the battle," she retorted.

I was stunned. She had actually managed to thwart my gift. I was not very happy about this discovery.

Continuing to pump Alice with the feelings of acquiescence, Jasper asked, "What else?"

"That's it. I swear!" she screamed, curling herself into a fetal position.

"What did I say about lying, Alice?" he retorted darkly. "Do not force my hand. Pain can also be an emotion, and I will show you, if you do not tell us everything."

"All right, I'll tell you. Bella's shield is instrumental for the Volturi to win. The newborn who can remove gifts cannot get past her shield. And since Aro is able to access the shield as well, the newborn will not be able to get to his either. Bella and Aro are critical to the Volturi's success." Alice laid there, tearlessly sobbing. No one felt any pity for her. "There's just one more thing. The army will arrive in Italy in seven days."

Murmurs filled the throne room. Everyone began to talk amongst themselves.

Needlessly clearing my throat to garner their attention, I looked at Jasper. "I think we may have an advantage. We need to get back to training immediately," I suggested.

"You are correct. They no longer have the element of surprise. Plus, we now know how to get around the deprivation gift. I think we need to concentrate on you and Bella, perfecting your ability to access each other's gifts. The best way for that is for us to have a mock battle. All of us are going against the two of you," Jasper informed us.

"Agreed. I do think that we all need to feed first," Caius spoke up.

"Absolutely, everyone has two hours to feed and prepare themselves," Jasper answered. Rocking back on his heels, he looked once again at Alice and asked, "Are you going to fight with us, or are you going to betray us?"

Alice looked up at him and then over to me. Without thinking, she replied, "I will fight."

Everyone looked over at Jasper, waiting for him to confirm whether or not she spoke the truth this time. He nodded his head, saying, "She's telling the truth. However, I would still keep an eye on her. She tends to be flighty."

"Consider it done. Felix, I want you to shadow our little seer here. Do not allow her out of your sight," Marcus commanded. Felix quickly complied, while walking over to Alice and standing next to her.

"Alright, everyone, you heard the Major. You all have two hours to feed and prepare. Get going," I ordered them. Immediately, they dispersed.

"Felix, you will accompany Miss Cullen. Go!" Caius informed him. And with that, Felix pulled her up off the floor and sped out to go hunt. Jasper followed, leaving only myself, my brothers, and my mate.

"If it's alright with you, Aro, I will stay here. I would like to see if I can catch up with Angela," Isabella asked me softly.

Brushing the back of my hand across her cheek, I gently kissed her forehead. "That's fine, Isabella. I will see you in awhile," I told her, kissing her again. My brothers and I left. WIth this new enlightenment, I felt my confidence being restored. For once, I was eager to train, just as my mate always is.

**BPOV**

I watched as Aro left, already beginning to miss him. The next few days would be crucial, and I did not want to waste an opportunity to reconnect with my friend.

I practiced with my shield for about an hour, pleased with my progress. I am now able to electrify it at will. I was sure that it would be useful during the battle. Although I had yet to use it on a vampire at full strength, I knew that it would be a formidable weapon to have.

I listened as I heard Demetri and Angela return. I rushed out to go greet her. Upon seeing me, she rushed to me and threw her arms around my neck. "Oh, Bella, I have missed you so much," she cried.

I returned her hug, trying to hold back my own tearless sobs. It seemed like forever since I last got to spend time with her. With all the training and the upcoming battle, all our spare time has been eaten up. But now I was going to attempt to make up for the lost time.

Demetri interrupted us, saying, "I will leave you ladies alone." He gave Angela a quick kiss and left us.

I turned to her, feeling an onslaught of emotions. "Angela, I've missed you so much. I'm sorry for what happened to you," I cried, desperate to make things right with her.

Sensing the hidden meaning in my statement, she pulled away from me. "Bella, please tell me that you aren't blaming yourself for the attack," she asked.

Looking down at the floor, I nodded my head. This was something that I had been struggling over, and I felt that I needed her forgiveness. "Yes, Ang, I do. If it wasn't for the fact that there is a delusional, vampire whore hell bent on destroying me, you would never would have been attacked. Of course I feel responsible," I said quietly.

"You listen to me, Bella. You are not responsible for the actions of others. It is that bitch's fault, not yours. I never blamed you, and I never will," Angela exclaimed emphatically. "I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself ever again. Ok?" she asked. I shook my head in agreement, thankful that Angela didn't hold me accountable.

"I'm so happy you are here, even though the circumstances that got you here suck," I said , giving her one last quick hug. "Why don't we go somewhere to get some semblance of privacy," I suggested.

We linked arms, much like we did when we were human. I guided her through corridors and up stairs, leading her to the bedroom I share with Aro. When we entered, I gestured for her to take a seat on the settee, while I chose to occupy the wingback chair.

Angela's facial expression reminded much of what mine was like when I first entered this room. She was, obviously, in awe of how it was furnished. I know the feeling well.

Grinning like a cheshire cat, she leaned toward me and asked,"So, Bella, what is it like being mated to Aro?"

And with that, we began our reunion. I loved this bonding time with her, and I wished that there would be more times like these in the future.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Thank you for the reviews! They keep me going when I don't think I have it in me to write more.**

**I would like to thank my beta, Watermelonsmellinfellon, for helping me with this chapter! She stepped up to the plate and did an amazing job! You rock, hon!**

**Chapter 23**

**VPOV**

I stood high on the hill, looking down upon my army. Fierce pride in myself was coursing through me. Look at all I had accomplished. Soon, very soon, I would have my revenge. With this vast number of newborns, I was sure to come out victorious.

I stayed there unnoticed, watching the training going on down below. It was impressive to see so many gifted vampires. There really is no way for that disgusting bitch and those Volturi scum to win. We had the numbers and the gifts on our side, and they would be the instruments that will end the existence of those fools.

Their time is just about up!

**APOV**

As a leader, I often have to push aside my own fears for the sake of those who serve me. This time is no different. I was fearful. I was fearful that I would lose my mate and forever love, Isabella. I was fearful for the lives of those who had come to lend assistance. Regardless of how I strive to be positive and as upbeat as you can be in this situation, the truth is that I'm weary.

We all have trained under Jasper's expert guidance. Often our training would go on for a few days straight without breaks. We all understood the gravity of the situation, and we were all willing to do what must be done.

Currently, we are preparing for a mock battle. Jasper's ideas are quite intriguing to say the least. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have enjoyed watching a simulated battle. However, Jasper has determined that both my mate and I would be going up against everyone else. He strongly believes that my Isabella is the key to our eventual victory. Being her mate has also made me another key factor. Since Isabella and I have the ability to access each other's gifts, it is imperative that we master them.

Of course, my love is eager to get started. From the moment she woke up from her transformation, she has eagerly embraced any and all training. It's almost as if she craves it. Frankly, I find it sexy as hell.

Presently, Isabella and I were in our bedroom, changing our attire. The both of us had been training so hard, we very nearly disintegrated our clothing. Changing was a must at this point.

I watched as my love put on a purple, lace balconette bra. It did marvelous things for her gorgeous breasts. She then pulled on a pair of matching purple lace panties. Her delectable body was driving me mad with desire. The growing problem in my pants made it difficult for me to ignore.

I knew we only had just a few minutes left to return to the training yard, but there was just no way I could hold back any longer from reclaiming my mate again. It has been too long!

I rushed over to her, yanking her up into my arms.

"Aro! We don't have time," she yelped in surprise that was laced with desire.

"I can't hold back. I want you now!," I growled. Fisting her gorgeous hair, I pulled. Isabella complied and tilted her head back, giving me access to her slender neck. Eagerly, I began placing heated kisses on her soft skin, making my way upwards toward her succulent mouth. I then kissed her pouty lips with a great deal of passion. Her responding moans only served to intensify my need for her.

"Oh God, Aro, please," she gasped in wanton need. Hastily, I tore the offending clothing from her body. My hands roamed her sumptuous curves, loving the way they felt.

"We don't have time for slow," I told her in between our kisses. "I'm just going to fuck you hard and fast," I informed her, slamming her up against the wall. Isabella eagerly wrapped her long slender legs around my waist. Quickly, I disposed of my own clothing.

"Please, Aro, hurry. I need to feel you deep inside me," my love begged, gripping onto me tightly.

**BPOV**

Aro kissed me deeply, and I relished in the taste of his lips. My head fell back as his lips made their way down to my aching breasts. He licked and sucked on my hard nubs, alternating between the both of them and sending the most delicious sensations to my core. I cried out in pleasure as my mate began to roughly pinch my other nipple while still devouring the one between his lips.

"Aro, please, I need to feel you buried deep inside me," I cried out in desperate need.

Without warning, my mate slammed his swollen rod deep inside my overheated core. I screamed in pleasure, loving the way he filled me.

"Is that what you want, what you were begging me for? You like that, don't you? You like how my big cock feels inside you," he taunted, eliciting even more pleasure. I desperately clung to him, tightening my legs that were wrapped around his waist, while angling my hips in such a way that his cock went even deeper.

"Ooh... yes! Please, harder. Fuck me harder!" I screamed out in wanton need.

Aro's rhythm became even more frenzied as he plunged his shaft even deeper into my dripping heat.

"Christ, yes!" he rasped. "My cock loves being buried inside you." He continued his frantic pace, plunging into me over and over.

All too soon, I began to feel the muscles deep within me tighten. My moans were getting louder with each one of his thrusts.

"Cum for me, baby! Let me feel you milking my cock," he ordered. Unable to hold off any longer, I shattered in his arms. Aro immediately followed, spilling his seed inside me.

He held me there for a moment, gently placing kisses on my eyes and lips. Laying my head on his shoulder, I basked in the afterglow of our lovemaking. It was never just sex with my mate. Regardless of how intense it gets, Aro always makes me feel loved and adored.

"I'm sorry to say this, but we need to get a move on. Jasper will probably hunt us down if we don't make it on over to the training yard in the next few minutes," he smirked.

Lifting my head from his shoulder, I gazed lovingly into his ruby red eyes. "I know. I just hate not being in your arms for any length of time," I responded quietly.

Aro leaned forward and kissed me deeply. Then, he pulled out of my pussy and gently lowered me until my feet touched the floor. "I know, my love. Soon, this will all be passed us, and we can continue in our existence, enjoying each other until our hearts are content."

I sighed, hoping that what he said was true.

Looking around our bedroom, I saw that my bra and panties did not survive Aro's assault. I said, "I'm going to take a quick shower. Did you want to go in there first?" I asked him.

Shaking his head, he replied, "No, I can wait. I would love to take one with you, but I know for a fact that I wouldn't be able to keep from taking you again."

I frowned in disappointment, but I knew he was right. "I guess you can owe me a shower then," I bargained, smiling at the gleam in his eyes.

"It's a deal then. I wouldn't ever pass up on the opportunity," he smirked. I jokingly slapped his arm, while making my way into our opulent bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower in one of the guest rooms. It will save time," I hear Aro called out to me.

"Okay," I replied. "I will meet you in the training yard." I quickly entered the shower, turning the water all the way up to hot. I raced through it as quickly as possible. I dried myself off and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Hurriedly, I made my way to the training yard, where I found an impatient Jasper waiting for me. Oh, great! I'm going to pay for this.

**I'm sorry this is such a short chapter. I wanted Bella and Aro to get a little time together, before they have the mock battle. It ended where I think it needed to.**

**Next chapter will be intense!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: It's not mine. Ms. Meyers owns the goods.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm so happy to see everyone is pretty much on the same page.**

**I'm sorry my updating is sporadic My RL is kicking the snot out of me, and I can only update when I can squeeze in the time. Thank you so much for your patience.**

**I do not have a beta, so all mistakes are my own. If anyone would like the job, let me know.**

**Chapter 24**

**BPOV**

By the time I had reached the training yard, I saw that Aro had already gotten there before me. Curse his ability to shower so quickly.

"It's nice of you to join us, Bella," Jasper called out to me. I looked over at him and saw him trying to hide his smirk.

"No problem, Jasper. I figured I could grace you with my presence, yet again," I replied.

"Yes, well, I'm surprised you and Aro were able to pull yourselves away from each other long enough," he jested, and everyone laughed.

"Although I do have a certain someone else I would rather be doing, I am capable of organizing my priorities," I retorted with a play on words. Aro laughed and pulled me into his arms.

As soon as the laughter died down, Jasper spoke up. "OK, everyone, it's time to get our heads together. We have a mock battle to get underway. It's everyone against Bella and Master Aro. I want everyone to go all out. No holding back, and that includes gifts as well. Treat this as if it were the real thing. This is to prepare us mentally and physically for what we are about to face. Whatever you do, remember what I said about newborns. Use that in your attacks. If it helps, watch how Emmett fights…"

"Hey, wait a minute," Emmett boisterously interrupts. "Why the hell does everyone have to pick on me?" he whines, placing his hand on his hips like a teenaged girl. I swear I saw him stomp his foot.

"I'm not picking on you, you little brat. I'm just pointing out the fact that, out of everyone here, you fight more like a newborn than a mature vampire," Jasper replied in exasperation while shaking his head.

"Oh, so now you're calling me immature," Emmett accused him. You could hear the barely disguised snickers from everyone. Emmett's behavior was just too amusing.

Jasper's eyes bugged out of his head for just a brief moment, before he was able to rein himself back in. "Emmett, I was referring to the fact that you tend to rely solely on you strength alone. You usually don't plan your attacks or think things through. Now could you stop being a hormonal, teenage girl and get down to business?" Jasper asked him in annoyance.

Emmett glared at him and huffed. As humorous as it was to see Emmett acting like himself, I couldn't help but feel relieved that he seemed to be completely over Rosawhore.

"Alright, let's get this underway," Jasper spoke up, interrupting my train of thought.

Without a moment's notice, everything and everyone shifted. Suddenly, the focus of all our friends and allies was leveled on myself and Aro. Looking around, I could see that they had formed a circle around us, attempting to block us in, and by doing so, they blocked any means of escape we might attempt.

Instantly, I felt someone collide with my back and was tackled to the ground. Damn! I was not watching every angle. I immediately threw back my elbow, connecting with whoever's face and throwing them off enough to allow me to get up.

I hopped back up only to be attacked again. This time, I could see who my attacker was. Ah, yes, Tanya Denali, why am I not surprised? The crazed look in her eyes spoke volumes. Apparently, this wasn't just a training session for her. The walking billboard for Whores-R-Us wants to have a real go at me. I suppose the ass whooping I gave her a while back must have really pissed her off.

She sneered at me, causing me to laugh. Her sneer sounded more like the sounds of a dying pygmy mouse than that of a powerful vampire hellbent on causing me harm. Then she dove at me. I anticipated her moves and easily sidestepped her attack. Her fighting skills were non-existent, making it easy for me to avoid her pitiful attacks. Immediately, she was joined by her two sisters. By the looks of it, they held grudges against me as well. For what? I had no idea. Perhaps the three of them suffer from some sort of vampire dementia. That would explain a great deal.

The three of them endeavored to tackle me again, without even bothering to think through any strategy. I easily averted them, and they all fell into a jumble of limbs.

I stepped over them and was again hit, but from my left flank. I looked up to see who my attacker was this time. Char's grin greeted me.

"Always pay attention. Never let your eyes wonder," she chided me. Then she grabbed a hold of my forearm and threw me a few meters away from her. I twisted myself and landed upright, ready for her next onslaught. "It is imperative that you never lose focus, regardless of what is going on around you," she added, charging at me again. We grappled together until I was finally able to throw her off me, only to be hit again by someone else.

Trying to keep my focus on all sides while defending myself from the multiple hits I was sustaining, I was feeling my mate through our bond. Although I could not see him, I knew he was struggling and there was nothing I could do to lend my assistance. I was having extreme difficulty maintaining my patience and keeping a level head. I wanted, no, needed to end this.

I looked around the training yard, desperate to catch sight of Aro. In between punches, kicks, and jabs, I finally caught a glimpse of him, fighting roughly twenty yards away from my current position.

I was fighting off both Felix and Carmen while trying to keep my eyes on my mate at the same time. Aro was to the left of me, fighting Emmett, Jasper, and Eleazar. They were all coming at us with everything they had, and we were able to keep up, but I was beginning to get frustrated. What the hell are we doing this for? Why? There were nearly 75 vampires pitted against myself and Aro. How in the name of all that's holy are we supposed to fight them off much less beat them?

My thoughts were again interrupted by Renata getting a good hit in, which connection with my left side. She hit me hard enough to toss me back a few dozen feet. I quickly got back to my feet and looked over at Aro. He was still fighting off his attackers.

Damn it! This isn't working. I needed to do something and do it quickly.

Just then, I realized that a few of the guard were not coming after me and Aro. Where the hell were they? Everyone was supposed to be participating in this. I scanned the vast training yard, trying to find them. That is when I just about lost it.

Several hundred yards away from where I stood, Alec, Demetri, and Peter were ganging up on Charlie. They were taking turns beating him and laughing while doing so. A deep growl erupted from within me. Aro rushed over to my side and followed my gaze. Soon, his growl joined mine as he witnessed the heinous act that had caught my attention. I felt something from deep within grow as my anger grew. I snarled and hissed and then my electric shield shot forth, encompassing them. With an even louder growl, an electrical charge, stronger than I had yet created, surged within my shield and blew Alec, Demetri, and Peter apart. Their limbs were strewn about in various directions.

Everyone ceased what they were doing, and all eyes were on me. Shock and awe were plastered in their facial expressions. There was even some fear.

I stood there, unable to move. I could not believe what I had just done. How was that even possible?

"Well done, Bella," Jasper praised me. I looked over at him as he ambled over to us.

"How is that a good thing?" I asked, disturbed by the advancement of my shield. Hearing the anxiety in my voice, Aro wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him.

"Bella, I have had a feeling for quite some time that your physical shield had not yet fully developed. In fact, I still don't think it has. You may call it intuition, but I am usually spot on about these things," Jasper replied gently, looking between me and my mate.

I leaned back and looked at Aro, hoping to see some sort of confirmation of Jasper's claims.

"My love, to be honest with you, I was feeling the same thing. I didn't want to concern you, so I have been trying not to think about it. I didn't want you to randomly pick it up in my thoughts. Plus, I think Jasper is the best person to get you to work on your gifts," Aro told me.

"I can feel the guilt and fear you are feeling. First of all: Charlie, Alec, Demetri, and Peter volunteered to help me with this knew there was a possibility that they could get hurt, but they also knew of the importance of helping your physical shield to evolve. Second: you have nothing to fear. You are a very quick study, and you will learn how to control this aspect of your shield. Just think of it as another means to protect the ones you love," Jasper said proudly.

"Are you telling me that you arranged to have them," I said, gesturing with a nod of my head over to the area where the dismembered trio was, "Gang up on my father so I would get pissed?" I asked him, annoyed at the tactics that he used.

Nodding his head, he said, "That's exactly what I did. I needed something that was going to jar you into action. Your response was completely instinctual. By doing that, you allowed your shield to evolve further."

"I can't say I'm overly joyous about they way you went about it. However, I understand the necessity of the outcome," I informed him, still a bit upset over it.

"Believe me, Bella, if I didn't feel that it was absolutely necessary, I wouldn't have done it this way. We are in a time crunch here, and we need you to develope your shield as far as is possible," Jasper explained further, trying to assuage my concerns.

"Bella," my dad said, walking over to us. The injuries he had sustained from the "planned" beating he had taken at Peter, Alec, and Demetri's hands were already healed and only a few silvery scars remained. The most prominent one being a crescent shaped scar he had on his neck from a bite mark. Seeing it cause anger to again surge up inside me. Jasper quickly glanced over at me, and I could feel his artificial calm wash over me, easing my tension. I glanced at him, giving him my dirtiest look. He laughed at me in response. Damn empath!

"Bella, I'm sorry this was so upsetting to you, but as you can see, I am fine. I needed to do this for you. I would do anything to help you," my dad told me, pulling me into his arms and hugging me.

"I get it, Dad. I just lost it there when I saw you being attacked," I explained to him.

Aro pulled me back into his arms and gently rubbed my back. Placing a finger under my chin, he tenderly tipped my head back so that I would look at him. "Do you understand that Jasper needed you to react solely on your instinct, and it was by doing so that you were able to get your shield to evolve?" he asked me, while leaning forward and placing a loving kiss on my forehead.

Nodding my head, I replied, "I get it, and it makes complete sense. I just think the way he went about it sucks. But I guess he had to go with the method that would get the quickest results."

"So, are we done here?" Emmett's boisterous voice broke through the strain of the conversation. Everyone laughed at his obvious one tracked mind. Once a goof off, always a goof off.

"Yes, Emmett, we are done for now. I think it would be prudent for everyone to hunt if they need to. If not, go relax," Jasper ordered, and everyone scattered without having to be told twice.

"What about Peter, Alec, and Demetri?" I asked Aro, still feeling slightly guilty over dismembering them.

"Don't worry about them, Bella," Jasper spoke up. "I already have some of the guard taking care of them. They will be fine."

"Come, my love, you look like you need some time to think." Aro quietly pulled me along with him into the castle and led me to his private study. He always seemed to know what I needed without me having to say anything.

I collapsed into Aro's overstuffed Corinthian leather chair and let my mind wander over the events of the past few weeks. It seems as if we have been experiencing non-stop developments since Jane's betrayal, and it is a bit overwhelming. Through it all, I have been fortunate to have the ever abiding love of my amazing mate. He stands by me and supports me through it all. No matter what happens, I know that I can do what must be done, because I have him by my side.

I'm not sure how long I've been sitting here, or how long Aro sat at his desk watching me, but I was jostled from my thoughts when I heard some commotion coming from the throne room. I gave Aro a questioning look,and he responded with one of his own.

"You do know that experience tell us that if we go to the throne room, we are only going to get more bad news?" I asked him.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" my love replied. He came over to me, offering me his arm like the true gentleman he is. I stood up, placing my hand on his arm and allowed him to lead the way. What could possibly be the bad news this time? Don't we have enough on our plates without having to deal with more?

Just then, Aro swung open the large doors and for once, since I have been here, I was happy to see the cause of all the raucous. And all I have to say is it's about damn time!

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to get out. I have written a little here and there when I could. To be honest, I have so much going on right now that my head just wasn't in it. I have been very tempted to put this and Sunrise on hold, but I hate when authors do that, and I don't want to do it.**

**My updating will be only when I can. My mother's cancer has returned and between dealing with that and everyone in my house getting sick, I just don't have much energy left. Please be patient. I'm trying to push through. **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Twilight is not mine. I'm just playing with the characters.**

**Thank you to everyone who is reviewing and has favored and followed this. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I know it seems like forever between updates, but please know that I truly appreciate all of you.**

**My RL never seems to ease up, and I have been more stressed than what is usual for me (that's saying something). Since this story is near its completion, I am going to finagle the time I need to complete it. I can't give you a set schedule, but I'm going to make every attempt to finish this asap.**

**I have no beta, so all mistakes are my own.**

**Chapter 25**

**BPOV**

I am utterly shocked, yet completely elated. When I first heard the commotion that was coming from the throne room, I automatically thought the worst. After all, we seem to be running on a string of bad luck. But honestly, I never would have believed that it was Emmett making all those squealing noises.

The moment Aro threw open those doors, I knew there was only one reason for Emmett's behavior. And quite frankly, I was overjoyed for him.

I couldn't help the smirk that spread across my features or the need to hide my eyes, as Aro and I walked over to Caius and Marcus. We all looked on as Emmett was practically devouring the lips of of a gorgeous blond vampire. The man has no shame. He even began to grope her in from of us. Like I said, I needed to hide my eyes.

The blond bombshell pulled away from their heated kiss. "Emmett, you can't do that in front of others!" she scolded him, playfully swatting his arm. "Some things are better left for when we're behind closed doors," she sweetly rebuked him.

"Babe, you can't blame me. You are seriously smokin' hot. My hands have a mind of their own," he told her impishly while waving his large hands between them, trying to prove his point. The man has no shame. And there he went at it again, capturing her lips in a kiss that was more x-rated than anything else.

I looked over to my pseudo brothers and asked them, "Could either of you please tell us what happened, and who is this?"

"Well, I think it's more than obvious what happened, Isabella. Emmett has found his one true mate," Marcus answered with a smirk. _Obviously,_ I thought to myself.

I looked back over at Emmett only to see that he had his mate shoved up against the far wall while he was grinding his lower half into her and moaning obscene things into her ear. None of which I ever needed to hear come out of his mouth. Can vampires get nauseous?

"Emmett!" I shouted in order to get his attention. He dazedly raised his head, looking around. "Take it elsewhere, preferably where I don't have to see or hear you," I told him while giving him my best glare. A moment later, he flashed out of the room with his mate in his arms to take her where he (and the rest of us) could have some much needed privacy. Thank God!

"Well, now that the creep show is over, can you explain the rest to us?" I asked, directing my question to Caius.

"Of course, Isabella, we'd be more than happy to. First, we would like to introduce you to the Australian coven. This is Amarina and Kyleigh Lida. Emmett's mate is Kelly. They are sisters by both blood and venom."

"Wait! I wasn't aware of there being a coven in Australia," Aro interrupted, sounding slightly confused. I glanced up at him with a questioning look, and he just shrugged in response. Huh? I thought my mate knew about all of the covens. I guess I was wrong.

"We are a relatively knew coven, Master Aro. I, myself, am only sixty four in vampire years," Amarina replied.

"That certainly is rather young. I must say that you and your sisters have amazing control," my love complimented them.

At this point, I noticed Kyleigh eyeing my mate in a particular way that had me needing to stake my claim on him. Stepping nearer to Aro, I slid my arm around his waist, pulling myself closer to him. Instinctively knowing what I needed, he wrapped me tightly in his arms and bent down to tenderly kiss me on my lips. I slowly pulled away, smiling up at him with all the love I had for him. He gently brushed the back of his hand down my cheek and then turned to address the new coven.

"You must forgive my rudeness. I haven't introduced you yet to my stunning mate, Isabella," he said contritely.

Amarina bowed her head in respect. "It is a pleasure, Milady," she said earnestly. Kyleigh looked slightly abashed and then smiled, echoing her sister's greeting. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, a woman who found my love attractive, and she didn't resent me for being his mate.

"Please, just call me Bella and welcome," I greeted them with a smile.

"Thank you, Bella, for your warm greeting," Kyleigh replied with a slight accent.

"I must ask how you learned about our situation here," Aro inquired curiously while unconsciously rubbing my back.

"We have been traveling, making our way through Japan. We were confronted by a small blonde vampire who had a few newborns with her. She was very angry and didn't seem capable of controlling the newborns. She claimed that the Volturi were corrupt and that their most recent downfall was caused by an Isabella. She also claimed to be leading a revolt against the corruption," Amarina explained.

I couldn't help the anger I felt as she told us of what Jane the Elven bitch had claimed. I could not wait to have my chance at teaching her a lesson. It would be the most painful thing she had ever experienced

"So Jane lied to you, but how did you figure out that what she was telling you was untrue?" my mate inquired.

"That would be Kelly's doing, Master Aro. Our sister has the ability of pheromone detection. She could literally smell that Jane was lying to her," Kyleigh responded impishly.

I saw Aro raise his eyebrow questioningly. "Pheromone detection? I have never heard of such a gift," he said more to himself than to anyone else.

"Our sister can explain it further, Master Aro. As vampires, we already have a very keen sense of smell. However, our sister can quite literally smell all the varying nuances of all pheromones that are given off by both humans and vampires. By doing so, she can tell when an individual is angry, lying, greedy, and so forth. It can come in handy," Amarina clarified.

"Wow! That's like empathy with a nose," I joked, thinking about Jasper's gift. Everyone laughed and agreed with my assessment. "Wait! I just thought of something. Vampires give off pheromones?" I asked, turning to Aro.

"Yes, my love, we do. Of course, due to the fact that our physiology is vastly different than that of a human's, it is the changes in the venom in our systems that produce the phermones. For us, it has nothing to do with hormones," he told me.

"You learn something new everyday," I replied quietly.

Just then, Emmett's voice interrupted our conversation when we heard him shout, "Oh, fuck, yea!" This was quickly followed by his mate screaming "Fuck me harder!"

Everyone in the throne room looked around at each other, obviously a bit uncomfortable with what we all just heard. I watched as everyone started to run out of the room. Emmett sure knows how to clear out a room.

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to be forced to hear anymore of that," I said to my mate. He pulled me into his arms and ran out of the room, carrying me bridal style. For now, we'll just duck and cover. Thanks to Emmett and Kelly!

**A/N Thank you for your patience! It means alot. This story is coming nearer to its end. I want to thank everyone who has stuck by me.**

**I am also dedicating this chapter to a friend of mine. She is obsessed with Kellan Lutz and wanted Emmett to get a good woman. Kell-an, this is for you. **


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I don't own Twilight, but I do like to play with it.**

**Thank you for the amazing reviews and all of the support I have gotten. I know this story has taken quite a while to finish. My mom's health has taken a turn for the worse, and it's become a day to day thing. Plus, I am a mother, and I have my own RL issues I have to deal with. So I want to thank everyone for hanging with me!**

**This is it! This is the very last chapter. There will be an epilogue, and then it will be completed. I sort of feel like I'm sending my kid off to college or something.**

**As always, I do not have a beta. All mistakes belong to me.**

**Chapter 26**

**BPOV**

I looked around me and saw my friends and family fight with everything that was in them. My newly found sisters, Didyme and Dora, were holding their own against two female newborns. I smirked as I watched Didyme swiftly remove one of the newborns' heads with a beautifully placed kick to the neck. Dora quickly followed her by tearing the arms off of the one she was two had certainly come a long way in a short time.

I returned my attention to my own little battle as I ducked from a punch that was thrown toward my mid section. Easily sidestepping the untrained fool, I grabbed a hold of his outstretched arm, and with a quick twist, I snapped it off at the elbow. As the male howled in pain and dropped on the ground at my feet, I finished the job by promptly relieving him of his head. I didn't waste time though, because I was immediately assaulted by a volley of punches coming at me from all angles. I blocked one particular punch with my forearm, pivoted to my right, and swiftly grabbed a hold of one of my attackers. Using their own body as a shield, I allowed them to sustain the attacks, buying myself a bit of time to take in my surroundings.

The battle was going full force, and it was too difficult to see at this point who was winning. Victoria and Jane had attempted to ambush us, but Peter's gift had proven to be quite useful in circumventing their plans. We had been prepared and were waiting in the clearing in the Italian countryside when the newborn army appeared. Our appearance had startled them, to say the least. Of course, they never saw us coming or even picked up on our scents. I had used my shield to mask the scents of our entire force. So they were, quite literally, taken by surprise.

I remembered how the day began. Everything seemed so relaxed, except for Emmett's noisy mating practices. Other than that, things were going quite normal or around here.

_Flashback_

_Aro had just rushed us out of the throne room due to my disgust at hearing Emmett and his new mate going at it at such a loud decibel. Aro had ended up taking me to his study which, thankfully, was soundproof. He lovingly set me down while keeping me in his arms. We gazed deeply into each other's eyes for a few moments, just enjoying being alone together and the peace it brought us. _

_Aro then leaned forward and slowly kissed me, allowing me to feel all the love he felt for me in his kiss. It wasn't a hard, demanding kiss but one full of tenderness and passion. He made me feel cherished and loved, like I was the center of his universe in the same way that he was the center of mine._

_After a few moments, he slowly pulled away. "Isabella," he crooned. "You are my life now. I will love you now and until forever. I know we will face difficulties, but I believe that together, you and I can overcome anything. You are my most beloved mate, but now I want something more. I want you as my wife," he declared while __getting down_ _on one knee and presenting to me the most stunningly gorgeous ring I have ever laid eyes on. It was a large Masterwork Cushion Halo cut diamond ring in a platinum band. There were sapphires running down both sides of the band. It was simply breathtaking! "Isabella, would you please do me the most incredible honor of becoming my wife?" he asked quietly._

_I didn't waste any time thinking about my answer. I just threw my arms around Aro's neck, chanting, "Yes, yes, yes!" while sobbing tearlessly. I loved him more than I thought I could ever love another._

_He held me as we kissed and spoke lovingly to one another. He then removed the ring from its box and lovingly placed it on my finger where he kissed it when it was in place. "I chose this ring for two reasons," he said quietly while lacing our fingers together. "The first reason is for the diamond. Diamonds are known to symbolize both love and fidelity. I will love you for eternity and beyond, and there will only ever be you. The second reason is for the sapphires. Blue sapphires are also known as the stone of love, but they are known for being the stones of wisdom as well. I have noticed that you are wise beyond your years. The other reason I chose the sapphires was for the fact that they resemble your amazing eyes which I can't seem to stop gazing into," he said while doing just that. _

_We held onto each other, kissing and caressing one another, not wanting to go back into the real world for a while. However, our time of togetherness was short lived when a frantic Peter barged into the room. _

"_The newborn army will be here by midnight," he said gravely._

_Aro gently brushed my cheek with the back of his hand while placing a loving kiss on my forehead. "Grab the Major. We will go and meet them. I cannot have them here in the city. Tonight, we will fight," Aro said sternly._

_Peter nodded his head and sped out the door. Aro grabbed a hold of my face with his two hands and forced me to look at him. "Remember, as long as we're together, we can overcome anything," he reminded me gently._

_Nodding my head, I reached my arm around his neck, pulling his lips closer to my own. "I love you," I replied. "Now let's go __kick some ass__!"_

_End Flashback_

I quickly pushed my knee into the back of the newborn I was holding onto, and while I pulled his arms back, I pushed at the same time, removing his arms. The force behind my push had shoved the newborn into the two that were in front of me, simultaneously knocking them all down.

Using one of the appendages that I had just torn off of the vampire, I bashed another newborn across the face with it, leaving a crack from her jaw to her hairline. However, that did not slow her momentum. This newborn looked to be more rabid than anything. She had venom pouring from her mouth, and her hair and clothing were filthy. She lunged at me again, and I jumped out of reach.

Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate the newborn that possessed a cloaking gift. I literally never saw him as he tackled me to the grown from out of no where. Being unable to see my assailant made it extremely difficult to fend off the assault. I felt a hand clenching tightly around my throat as they began to squeeze tighter. My skin around my neck began to fracture, leaving fissures trailing up my cheekbones. Needing to put a stop to it, I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed a hold of the invisible hands, and while using my shield, I ramped up the electric charge, shocking my attacker with several thousand volts. I immediately felt relief, and when I looked up, I saw the vampire several feet away, clearly visible and slightly smoking. He sneared at me, charging toward me again. Having had enough, I threw out my shield, encasing him and several others nearby inside. Without much effort, I fully charged my shield, blowing the newborns apart and leaving nothing but their dusty remains. That gave me an idea.

**APOV**

The battle raged on for an indeterminate amount of time. My brothers and I fought side by side, easily eliminating many newborns. The Romanian scum had proven to be the easiest to trounce. They had been so blinded by the lust for power that they never saw themselves being betrayed by Jane and Victoria. The petty fools set up their own demise.

Many of the newborn were blood thirsty, not having any formal training in combat. They were fighting on instinct, making them easy targets. As long as you know how to handle them and get around their strength, you wouldn't have any problems. I watched as my guard disposed of one newborn after another, plowing their way through.

I had lost sight of my precious mate a while ago, but I know she is holding her own. I can still feel her through our mate bond and the joint sharing of our respective gifts. She has trained long and hard for this moment, and I have every faith in her abilities to come out on top.

I looked over to see Demetri fighting a rather large male, almost as big a Felix. This newborn was fast which seemed abnormal, considering his size. He rammed into my upper guardsman, throwing him a dozen or so yards away. Demetri landed with a loud thud. Suddenly, Emmett was there, taking on the hulking newborn. Where the newborn had speed, Emmett had strength. Before Jane's minion had a chance to get his hands on Emmett, Emmett grabbed a hold of his neck in his one hand. The newborn attempted to dislodge his hand by using both of his to pry Emmett's hand off of his neck. The hand on his neck only tightened further as Emmett began lifting the struggling vampire off of the ground. With a final squeeze, the head popped off and landed a few feet away. It was unlike any beheading I have ever seen before.

My thoughts were interrupted when Edward of all vampires attempted to tackle me. I hastily maneuvered out of his way, leaving him stunned. Drawing on my connection to my mate's shield, I blocked his ability to read my mind.

"Why can't I read your thoughts?" he asked me angrily.

"My mind is private, and therefore, none of your business," I replied sharply.

He looked around, darting his eyes back and forth as if trying to come up with an answer. "This is not your gift. Someone is blocking your mind from me." Not liking to be kept in the dark, he lunged at me again. This time, while I waited for the last minute. I stepped to the side, grabbing his arm, and while using his own momentum, I tore his arm off. This only served to anger him further. He turned and attempted to plow into me once more. However, since he was unable to read my mind, his attacks were clumsy and not well thought out. I grabbed a hold of his other arm and tore that off of him. Not wishing to hear him whine anymore, I grabbed a hold of his head, and with a sharp turn, I yanked it off.

I stood taller and looked around. Felix was gathering newborn body parts and throwing them into a fire. Charlie was grappling with two newborns, and Jasper and Peter were surrounded by a dozen more. No matter how many newborn we destroy, more seems to take their place.

"Do you give up yet, Aro?" Janes screeching voice called out to me from a nearby hilltop. I looked over to see her and Victoria standing there and laughing.

"We aren't cowards like the two of you are, bitch?" my beloved mate replied snidely from the opposite side of the clearing.

"Did you just call me a coward, cagna?" Jane retorted with a sneer.

Isabella looked around. "That would be a yes. I don't see anyone else standing on a hill while everyone else is fighting. Clearly, the two of you know damn well you'll get your asses handed to you," she said insultingly.

Jane's eyes blackened, and she darted forward, heading toward my mate. Isabella stood there with a slight grin on her face. I knew she wanted to take Jane out herself, so I was not about to interfere.

**BPOV**

I have waited for this moment for what seems like forever. From the first time I met the mentally deficient elf, she has been a thorn in my side. Now is my chance to teach her a lesson in respect and vampire mating. Aro is mine, and by the time she is nothing more than smoldering ashes, she will have learned that lesson.

The annoying imp came flying at me, snarling like a deranged dog. She made a swipe at me which I deftly avoided. She attempted another go at attacking me, and I dodged that as well. Then she tried to use her gift one me, and I stood there laughing at her.

"Why isn't it working?" she furiously growled out.

"If you had been paying attention at any time when we first met, you would have noticed that your gift never worked on my," I reminded her. "And now that you know what it's like for everyone else, I think it's time to end this."

Gnashing her teeth at me, she made a move to tackle me. Expecting such an amateur move, I let loose my shield, encasing her within it. Upon realizing that there was no way for her to escape, she resorted to name calling.

"You are nothing, you little whore! He will never want you around for eternity. He's just using you until something better comes along," she childishly cried out, thrashing about in her little prison.

"That's where you are wrong, sister," Alec spoke up. "You are so blinded by your own self importance and greed that you cannot see what is directly in front of you. Mistress Sawn is Master Aro's mate. You are not. It is you who are not fit to be with him," he informed her with a harsh but firm tone to his voice. "I am ashamed to call you my twin." And with that, he turned his back on her and walked away.

"You bitch! You have taken everything from me," she screeched.

"No, Jane, you did that yourself. Now I'm just finishing the job," I replied. And with a jolt, Jane was nothing more than a pile of ash.

"You may have finished off Jane, Bella, but I don't think you and your pathetic friends will be able to handle my little surprise," Victoria giggle maniacally. She gestured toward a little newborn. He was roughly my size and must have been in his mid teens when he was changed. "This is Michael. Michael is very special. You see, he has the gift of deprivation," she said. Turning to Michael, she ordered, "Show them how it works!"

I looked around and saw my friends looking confused. Jasper and Peter were huddled together with Marcus. I darted over to them. I had an idea of what was happening but I wasn't too sure.

Out on the field, the newborns began to attack more aggressively, or so it seemed. I dodged several attacks as I made my way over to them.

"What the hell is wrong?" I asked Jasper.

"None of our gifts are working. That boy has the ability to block them," he informed me.

Just then, a large group of newborns came out of nowhere, and we suddenly found ourselves trying to stave them off. Dammit! We need to get a handle on this.

I felt someone slam into me, and I fell down with a thump. Pain shot through my left side, but I brushed it off. Now was not the time to worry about getting hurt. The next thing I know, my arms are being pinned down, and I felt a bite on my left shoulder. Son of a bitch, that stings! Willing myself to get the newborn off me, my shield flared, and they went flying. Yes!

"Aro!" I called out to my mate.

I looked around for him, only to find him struggling with three newborns. I ran over to him, punching my way through as I went. When I reached his side, we both worked together dismembering the three newborns. When we finished eliminating the last one, I grabbed a hold of his hand, allowing him to read my thoughts. He nodded his head in agreement and took off in the opposite side of the clearing. I flashed over to the side directly opposite from him. We both stood slightly above the clearing, me on a small hill and Aro on a large boulder. Nodding to each other, we closed our eyes, connecting ourselves through our gifts. Utilising my shield, we reached out and with Aro's tactile telepathy, we determined who was who and isolated each individual newborn of Victoria's by encompassing them in a shield. When every newborn was confined, we allowed the energy to pulse and surge through us. Creating a voltage much greater than any I had ever managed to forge before, we charged each shield, causing every vampire encased within to explode instantaneously.

Cheers rang throughout the clearing while the lone redhead on the hill screamed in anger. Her fury was evident as she rushed over to me, trying to take me out. I heard a snarl and snapped my eyes over to where it originated from. My father had the bitch by her throat.

"You threatened my daughter and murdered her mother. You are nothing more than a coward." And with those words he tore her to shreds, leaving nothing that was identifiable behind.

I looked around me. My friends and family were safe. There were some injuries, definitely more bite marks, but we didn't lose anyone.

I walked over to my mate, wrapping my arms around his waist and clutching him closer to me. Everyone gathered around us, enjoying a moment of peace for the first time in quite a while.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but Aro and Bella fucking knocked it out of the ballpark," Emmett joked in his usual fashion.

"That was a genius move,"Jasper complimented us while tightly holding on to his own mate.

"That one was all my mate's idea," Aro proudly replied, giving me a squeeze.

"It's not surprising that she was able to thwart the newborn's gift. Her shield is more powerful than even I can tell you," Eleazer explained in awe.

"We are quite proud of you, cara," Caius told me.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable with all the praise, I lifted my hand to waive them off nonchalantly. That was when Didyme screeched.

"You're engaged! When are you getting married? Can Dora and I plan it? What are the colors?" she asked excitedly. Everyone began to congratulate us all at once. Aro raised his hand to get everyone to quiet down.

"I just asked her earlier this morning. We haven't set a date yet. In regards to who will be planning it, I will leave that up to my lovely mate," he said while lovingly gazing at me.

I looked over at my new sisters. They were practically begging me to let them plan the wedding. Well, why not? I'm not really good with all that stuff, and if they want to, then why not let them?

"OK, you two may be my planners. We can get together later and discuss colors and what not," I told them. They jumped up and down eagerly. Their mates pulled them into their arms to get them to calm down.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I would like to take my new fiance and spend some time with her," Aro informed them while picking me up and walking off with me. I heard Emmett laughing as we walked away.

I leaned my head against his shoulder. Finally, it was like we could begin our lives like a mated couple without a shadow hanging over our heads. I lost my mother to a nutjob, and that cut deeply. But I found something infinitely more joyful and more fulfilling than I thought could ever happen to me. I found an unexpected love.

**A/N: cagna: Italian for bitch**


End file.
